Danubian Animal Genetic Resources

Research on the European wild boar population (Sus scrofa crofa L.) in the Timiș county, Romania

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:58:19 +0000

The wild boar represents one of the most required species by the hunters of Romania and abroad. Thus, in this paper, the evolution of wild boars population in the Timiș county (the west of Romania) is presented for a period of 10 years, from 2014 to 2023. During the year 2019, the highest number of specimens had been registered, namely, 3122 and in the following years the livestock decreased mainly because of the African swine fever (ASF). To get a management of the best quality, concerning the hunting economics and hunting mainly, there is the Hunting Complex in Sarlota, possessing an enclosed terrain of 1204 ha, where the wild boar represents one of the main species. There is a hunting museum nearby, that is a good source of professional information. In the Barzava area, in the Arad county, hybridization is practised rarely for commercial use, between the domestic swine and the wild boar.

Maternal genetic diversity of the Red-faced sheep of Covasna based on the mtDNA control region

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

One of the variants of the Tsigai sheep is the reddish-headed and -legged, small-sized, so-called Redface Covasna. In 2014, the Institute for Farm Animal Gene Preservation brought in a small herd of these from Transylvania with the aim of national conservation of the breed.

The aim of the study is to characterize the maternal background and maternal genetic diversity of the Red-faced sheep of Covasna. For this, the nucleotide sequence of the control region (CR) of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) was used. The sampling was achieved from 34 individuals 2021 and 2022.

The length of the aligned CR sequences is 621 bp with the number of polymorphic base sites 88. The number of haplotypes is 30 (from haplogroups A and B, which proves its origin in Asia Minor). The value of haplotype diversity (H_d) is 0.991, and its variance is 0.010. The mean of the nucleotide diversity (π) and the average nucleotide difference per pair (k) in the investigated flock are 21.27*10^-3 and 13.21, respectively. The value of the Tajima D test (-1.4427, p > 0.10) does not indicate a lack of alleles, nor does it indicate a narrowing of the genetic diversity occurring in the history of the population.

Pasture farming as a sustainable method of goat milk and dairy product production

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:34:52 +0000

Pasture represents an economical and sustainable way of feeding goats. However, to fully leverage the benefits of grazing, farmers must manage several aspects, including plant diversity, potentially poisonous plants, pasture load, and the pasture's nutritional value. Moreover, combined grazing with goats, sheep, and cows is the most effective way to utilise pasture resources. Pasture-based diets impact milk and dairy products' nutritional and fatty acid profiles. When goats graze on diverse pastures, their diet typically includes a range of plants, such as grasses, legumes, and herbs, which enhance the nutritional content of their milk. This dietary diversity increases the presence of protein, fat, and beneficial fatty acids, such as omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), both of which are associated with some health benefits. Additionally, pasture-based diets contribute to higher antioxidant levels in goat milk, including vitamins like A and E, which improve the milk's oxidative stability. Grazing improves goat's milk's nutritional and sensory quality, providing a natural method to enhance its value for consumers and dairy processors.

Biotechnology assisted approaches in the preservation of rare breeds’ diversity

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:00:23 +0000

Preservation is defined within the concept of conservation. It is an aspect of conservation, by which a sample of an animal genetic resource population is designated to an isolated process of maintenance, by providing an environment free of human forces, which might bring about genetic change. The process may be run in situ (in vivo) in natural environment; it may be run ex situ (in vivo) or cryogenic storage (in vitro). The in libro concept of preservation is the conscious “keeping alive” of the one-time presence of an already extinct domestic animal breed or all the characteristics.

When the term "biotechnology" was coined, it meant the process, by which raw materials can be biologically transformed into socially useful products with the help of living organisms (fermentation). The production of special foods that are matured in a controlled manner from the milk and meat of old domestic animals may be an area to be exploited more strongly in the future. Later, reproductive biotechnology, several biotechnical procedures have been developed, such as embryo transfer (ET) and artificial insemination (AI). There are many other reproductive techniques, ranging from cloning to sperm and embryo cryopreservation, including hormonal control of reproduction (e.g., induction of cyclicity and parturition). These biotechnological methods are already widespread in everyday animal production and have gained a reasonable right to exist in breed maintenance as well.

The applications of biotechnology are diverse, and it is necessary to use the areas of its application that result in the legal and effective preservation of genetic diversity of rare animals.

Slovak - Hungarian cooperation to protect biodiversity

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:11:11 +0000

The Slovak National Agricultural and Food Centre (NPPC) in cooperation with the National Centre for Biodiversity and Gene Conservation (NBGK) has been awarded a grant under the Interreg VI-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Program for the implementation of its project "Support for cross-border biodiversity conservation in ex situ conditions" (HUSK/2302/1.2/018, #Biodiverzity). Its total budget is 998 683,56 EUR, of which 798946,84 EUR is Community funding for the period from 1 May 2024 to 31 October 2026. In the Danube region, due to similar environmental factors, the established indigenous species share common characteristics. Both countries are facing the loss of native varieties and a significant decline in their populations as intensive farming systems become more widespread. Without conscious genetic conservation programs, these varieties could disappear permanently. Therefore, it is a priority for both nations to preserve and integrate the genetic material of these varieties into production. This call for proposals aims to establish the foundations for long-term cooperation between the two countries. By pooling expertise from different fields, sharing knowledge, best practices and innovative solutions, we can jointly achieve our objectives. The project will be implemented collaboratively, led by the Slovak partner. Both countries will contribute resources - financial, infrastructural, and human - to ensure the successful implementation of the tasks.

Dr. István Bíró - Dr. László Zsilinszky: Formation and change of the structural system of breeding organization during the historical development of Hungarian livestock breeding - book review

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 09:12:05 +0000

A new professional issue was published (in Hungarian) at the end of March 2024, Dr. István Bíró - Dr. László Zsilinszky: Formation and change of the structural system of breeding organization during the historical development of Hungarian livestock breeding (Tenyésztésszervezés szervezeti rendszerének kialakulása és változása a magyar állattenyésztés történeti fejlődése során; ISBN 978-615-01-9417-2). It has now fortunately been published with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the care of the DAGENE Association. The book's Introduction was written by András Gáspárdy, president of DAGENE. The publication may be of greater interest among agricultural education and research institutions, breeding organizations, and animal husbandry specialists.