Population genetic structure of Sri Lankan backyard chicken flocks: Implication for conservation and genetic improvement programs

Traditional ‘random’ sampling strategy for molecular characterization has revealed low genetic differentiation and weak genetic structure among Asian and African indigenous, non-descript chicken populations although they carried high within-population phenotypic and molecular genetic diversity. In the present study, 192 backyard chickens collected following a nearly ‘complete’ sampling strategy for all adult birds within flocks of 75 households in five villages at two sites in Sri Lanka were genotyped using 20 microsatellite markers. The phenotypes and history of these birds were also recorded. A link of phenotypic composition and flock size with specific genetic structure of the backyard chicken populations was explored. The results suggest that the households who used to keep large flocks of indigenous backyard chickens of mixed genotypes should be included in in-situ conservation program to effectively maintain and sustainably utilize these important chicken genetic resources

System characteristics and management practices for small ruminant production in “Climate Smart Villages” of Kenya

The CGIAR research programme on Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with several partners is testing a portfolio of interventions to address the threat of changing climatic conditions for smallholder farming communities living beside river flood plains, grouped into “Climate Smart Villages” (CSVs). We present characteristics of farms in CSV in relation to small ruminant (SR) production and the scenario for a breeding and improvement programme. Information was collated using participatory systems research methods from 140 households in seven CSVs in Nyando basin, Kenya. Although most households were headed by men, there were a higher proportion of adult women within the communities, and literacy levels were moderate. A total of 58 percent of the population owned <1 ha of land for growing crops and rearing on average 6.96 ± 3.35 Tropical Livestock Units comprising different species of animals. Women headed households owned more sheep which were mainly crosses of unspecified local breeds, than Goats which were mainly the Small East African breed-type. Mating among the SR was random, with no control of inbreeding as flocks mixed in grazing fields and at water points. Farmers desired large and resilient animals for better market prices; however, growth rates were slow. The SR flocks were dynamic with 31 percent of the animals moving in and out of flocks in a year. A community breeding programme optimally using available resources and incorporating gender integrated innovative technologies could be implemented for the CSV, alongside strong capacity development on animal husbandry, health and marketing of products

A novel use of high density SNP assays to optimize choice of different crossbred dairy cattle genotypes in smallholder systems in East Africa

We present use of SNP technologies to obtain for the first time, rapid, large-scale, in situ estimates of performance of crossbred cows in smallholder herds. Compared to historical approaches, our approach allowed optimum crossbreed choices to be determined more rapidly and without question about the relevance of the environment. High-density SNP assays were used to estimate breed composition for a monitored population comprising 1292 cows from 610 smallholder farms in Kenya. The achieved milk yields are much lower than generally assumed and lactation curves are very flat out to 400 days. In poor production environments, lower grade crosses (containing <60% exotic dairy alleles) had the same yield as high grade crosses. Allowing for the larger size and maintenance requirements of high grade exotics, lower grade exotics will be the most economically productive animals in these environments

The food and nutrition environment at secondary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa as reported by learners

CITATION: Okeyo, A. P. et al. 2020. The food and nutrition environment at secondary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa as reported by learners. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11). doi:10.3390/ijerph17114038The original publication is available at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerphOverweight and obesity are growing concerns in adolescents, particularly in females in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food and nutrition environment in terms of government policy programs, nutrition education provided, and foods sold at secondary schools in the Eastern Cape province. Sixteen schools and grade 8–12 learners (N = 1360) were randomly selected from three health districts comprising poor disadvantaged communities. Based on age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off values, 13.3% of males and 5.5% of females were underweight, while 9.9% of males and 36.1% of females were overweight or obese. The main food items purchased at school were unhealthy energy-dense items such as fried flour dough balls, chocolates, candies, and crisps/chips. Nutrition knowledge scores based on the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were poor for 52% to 23.4% learners in Grades 8 to 12, respectively. Female learners generally had significantly higher nutrition knowledge scores compared to their male counterparts (p = 0.016). Questions poorly answered by more than 60% of learners, included the number of fruit and vegetable portions required daily, food to eat when overweight, foods containing fiber, and importance of legumes. It was noted that the majority of teachers who taught nutrition had no formal nutrition training and their responses to knowledge questions were poor indicating that they were not familiar with the FBDGs, which are part of the curriculum. Nutrition assessment as part of the Integrated School Health Program was done on few learners. Overall however, despite some challenges the government national school meal program provided meals daily to 96% of learners. In general, the school food and nutrition environment was not conducive for promoting healthy eating.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/4038Publishers versio

Use of high density SNP genotypes to determine the breed composition of cross bred dairy cattle in smallholder farms: Assessment of reproductive and health performance

Reproductive performance and disease data were recorded for 2 years on 1,824 dairy cows in smallholder farms using participatory approaches and onfarm recording. Most animals experienced one service to conception. Calving intervals were long, ranging between 261 and 761 days, with an average of 451±101days. Herd level of production (HeL) had significant effect on calving interval. However, there was no difference between crossbreds with different levels of exotic breed percentage or in different HeL classes in disease incidence. Most animals had less than 2 treatment events, despite the high disease burden in the study areas. Mortality rates were low, ranging from 2.13% to 2.65%. Even though the crossbred animals had higher performance compared to indigenous animals, the gains obtained were below what would be possible with better management. These results suggest that crosses with low exotic proportions would be the most optimal for the production systems studied