BIHAR ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, PATNA, BIHAR Bihar Veterinary College, Patna
Speaker: Ramesh Kumar Singh Assistant Professor cum Jr. Scientist Division of Animal Genetics and Breeding
Bihar Veterinary College, Patna
Conservation Strategies
Principles of conservation
The conservation of AnGR should be based on following basic principles
Population Size – Stock should be maintained with optimum population size above the level of risk.
Characteristics of Stock – The stock for conservation should be of following types Viz.
Pure form, Having special traits and Select diverse stock
Environment conditions – Maintain and conserve the locally adapted breeds and that to in some location. Maintain live animals providing the similar feeding, management and environmental conditions under which they had been traditionally kept.
Breeding methods – the genetic merit and diversity should be maintained using appropriate breeding programme.
Methods of conservation of AnGR – In-situ conservation and Ex-situ conservation
• In-situ conservation – It involves the maintenance of live animals in their adaptive environment and animal population continues to evolve and be developed for more sustainable use.
• It is of further two types
Active In-situ conservation – It is equivalent to breed development through animal breeding programme.
Passive In-situ conservation – It deals with maintenance of live animal’s populations within their environment for the breeds which are at risk of loss
Advantages of In-situ conservation
•
This is the best method for conserving a breed.•
Genetic variability should be maintained.•
Proper breeding plan for genetic improvement make the breed economically viable.•
This method of conservation gradually makes to adapt the changing environment.Limitation of In-situ conservation
• In-situ cost involved in maintaining large herd / flocks is high.
• In-situ conservation can be done in better and scientific way at organized farms.
• The conservation can be done in field condition by
forming breed societies.
Institutional herds
The population size of animals maintained at institutional herds is too small for genetic improvement through selection.
The genetic improvement of animal maintained at organised farms for conservation can be done by the followings
Effective population size
MOET
ONBS & CNBS
Improving the management and environment
Contd…
The Inbreeding and genetic drift have adverse effect on performances and fitness of animals which result due to small population size.
The organised farms having nucleus of at least 100 breedable females can be used for selective breeding and conservationFarmers Herds
•
Individual farmers in India maintain small herd or flock of animal animals.•
So they are unable to kept bulls of high genetic merit.•
This forces them to mate their females with unselected bulls of low genetic merit available in and around they village.•
This result production of non-descript population.•
No data recording system is followed in farmer’s herd / flockThese problems can be solved by
•
Forming breed societies•
By covering the area of breed under herd Registration scheme for data recording.•
By giving incentives to the farmer’s different ways•
An amount for keeping purebred animal•
Provision semen and A.I facilities•
Support price for productsIn-situ conservation strategies
•
By increase in fodder resources•
Improving economic efficiency of indigenous animals by selective breeding, better health coverage and providing balanced ration.•
To create public awareness about the local breeds for their suitability and special attributes under native condition.Fodder resources – strategies
•
To maintain common grass land and other feed resources for grazing of animals•
Allowing practice rotational grazing•
Re-seeding of grass lands and controlled grazing•
Controlled grazing in forest.•
Practice of silvipasture and multitier vegetationEx-situ conservation
• The Ex-situ conservation is practiced for economically not viable animals under In-situ conservations.
• Otherwise it will be lost due to economic pressure.
In-vivo method
• It is Ex-situ conservation of live animals in small numbers at place away from the main breeding tract of the breed. Ex. organized herd of research station, Central State govt. farms, Bulls mother farms and Zoo and breeding park
• Major limitation of this method
• Small population size
• Increase in population size become uneconomical
• Breeding should be directed to increase performance over the year to make them self-sustainable
• Effective population size should be maintained
In-vitro method
• It is the storage of living cells for long period of time.
• It is done by
Deep freezing of sperms and oocytes
Deep freezing of embryos
Storage of DNA
Embryonic stem cells storage
Somatic cell cloning
Objectives of In-vitro conservations
•
Regeneration of endangered breed•
New breed development•
Supporting in-vivo populations•
Research for determining the effect of single major gene•
DNA studies and genome mappingStrategies for conservation
• The conservation of livestock genetic resources in the country should have the broad based objectives with following lines of action
A.National survey programme
• To determine demographical and geographical distribution of breed in their home tract.
• To characterize the different breeds of livestock species with respect to their morphological, productive and reproductive characteristics management practices
• To identify superior germplasm and rare variants within specific breeds
• To establish National Data Bank to store information of all AnGR
• To identify the breeds / types declining towards extinction
• Planning improvement and conservation programme
In-situ conservation programme
• Herd Registration programme should started for all the breeds with active participation of the farmers for which they need incentive and technical support
• Government farms should keep breeds those are not economical to farmers
• Breed societies should be formulated. The breed societies and voluntary organisation should be given financial and scientific support by central and state govt. for conservation of native breeds.
• The capacity of Govt. animal’s farms should be increased with all types of infrastructural facilities to keep the indigenous breeds of livestock for their In-situ conservation
Contd…
• Different breed should be adopted by different breeds organisation in their have tracts.
• Associated Herd Progeny Testing should be adopted genetic evaluation and conservation
• Goshalas having purebred animals should be supported by providing semen from bull mother station free of cost
• The crossbreeding should be restricted to non-descript population and low productive animals of the breed.
Ex-situ conservation programme
•
India has good infrastructure for semen collection, storage and deep freezing•
It should be made mandatory to preserve excess semen doses•
The semen and embryo bank should be stablished•
Training programmes should be organisedAgencies for improvement and conservation programmes
•
Department of A.H. and Dairying, Govt. of India•
SAU’s and Veterinary Colleges•
State Animal Husbandry Department•
Non-Government organisation•
Private companies•
OthersThanks
