Biodiversity, resource base, animal breed level characterization, and utility of the information for...

Biodiversity, resource base, animal breed level characterization, and utility of the

information for goat genetic resources in Ethiopia

Tadelle Dessie (ILRI)

ILRI - ICARDA Training Course on Methods and approaches of Phenotypic characterization of Animal Genetic Resources (Goats)

Addis Ababa, 20-21 December 2012

Outline of the presentation• General context

• What is Biodiversity?

• What is the resource base we have in this country?

• What/why/how characterization?

• What are the practical uses of production environment and breed level characterization information?

1. General context

• World population to reach almost 9 billion over the next quarter of a century

– Getting richer and urbanised

• Increased demands for livestock products

• NOT WITHOUT challenges !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Globalization

Feeding the world

Climate change

Global ChallengesLivestock Domains

1. General context –the main challenges

1. General context: Importance of Livestock

Globally:Livestock contribution to human diets• 13 % of all dietary energy; 25 % of all dietary protein• 1.5 % of world GDP ( Ethiopia >15??? Kenya > 10% )• livelihood component to 1 billion people

Steinfeld, 2012

• The livestock sector is resource-hungry:• ~ 70% of total agricultural land• ~ 60 % of total anthropogenic biomass appropriation • ~ 29 % of agricultural water use• >15 % of greenhouse gas emissions (being re-calculated,

and re-calculated)

1. General context- Role and importance of Farm

animal genetic resources (FAnGR)

• Nearly everyone consumes some animal-source food in their diet • Over one billion of the World’s poor depend on livestock, of whom

95% are extremely poor • Livestock development is an opportunity to reduce poverty and

enhance food security • Some 150 million livestock keepers are landless (Thornton et al.

2002) • Livestock products: are reliable sources of high-quality, readily-

absorbed protein and micronutrients

• Livestock perform multiple functions

1. General context- Animal Farming & Implications on Resources

• By 2050, 33 % more people to feed – 70 % more meat and milk required

• 12 % of global land is crop land (1/3 thereof is for feed) • 26 % of global land is pasture, • Expansion of biofuels will continue • Expanded yields must come from productivity increase

(i.e. better match of FAnGR with production environments–no room for expansion)

• Environmental concerns over the livestock bads are increasing (more productive livestock emit less GHG/unit of product)

Challenges and opportunities of animal breeding for poverty/livelihood impact


Opportunity Population growth

Income growth

Urbanisation

Increasing demand for livestock products

Expanding post-production value addition

Increased regional trade opportunities

Livestock revolution

Creative use of existing & emerging technology e.g. AI, sexed semen, CBBI, mobile telephony


Challenges Rapid change in production system, Markets, Policy and

institutions

Climate change –requires adaptive genotypes

Demand for higher food quality standards

New institutions and institutional arrangements are

required (& emerging!) NGOs, CBOs, private service

providers e.g. AI providers), PPPs, etc

2. Livestock diversity

Livestock biodiversity: what’s it about?

Biodiversity refers to the number, variety and variability

of livestock

Constituent hierarchical elements:- Genes (individual animals) - Breeds ????/or populations- Species, and- Ecosystems, (production environment, farming system etc).

What is Livestock breed?

A population may be regarded as a ‘breed’ if they fulfill the following criteria:

(i) They are subjected to a common utilization pattern,

(ii) common habitat/distribution area,(iii) they represent largely a closed gene pool, and(iv) they are regarded as ‘distinct’ by their

breeders. Kohler-Rollefson (1997)

Breed = unit of conservation

What is livestock diversity?

Breed or population of livestock is a set of individuals reproductively isolated with unique adaptive attributes under the genetic control of many interacting genes and the results of complex interaction between the genotypes and the environment 。

What is characterization?

• The distillation of all the information/knowledge on & about a livestock breed/population:

• Phenotypic characterization –Description of external characteristics, associated pests/pathogens etc.

–Production characteristics within a defined/described production environment (management practices)

–Its geographic distributions

–Uses –economic and socio-cultural values

What is characterization?

• Genetic characterization: –Pattern of trait inheritance

–Genetic parameters

–How it performs when crossed with other breeds

–Genetic integrity/diversity and /or uniqueness (which genes & how they function?)

Why characterize?

• In order to better understand & comprehensively describe the animal and production environment: – Provides options for informed utilization &

management of AnGR (what & how?) • Develop informed improvement/conservation programs • Determine population trends & levels of threats etc. • Advocate for, make & supportive/relevant policies • Support/inform negotiations for transfers/exchange etc.

Management of Livestock Biodiversity: components

understanding•characterisation•documentation

prioritiesapproaches/strategies

policies

prioritiesapproaches/strategies

policies

conservation utilization

• Using

•Phenotypic and molecular techniques

(microsatellites, mtDNA, SNPs etc)

•PhD and MSc theses

Characterize, quantify and

map phenotypic diversity,

neutral and functional diversity of

FAnGR to inform livestock

conservation and utilization

Livestock diversity - How much do we know Livestock diversity - How much do we know about the resource?about the resource?

Animal genetic resources diversity -Ethiopia

• The country is endowed with huge farm animal genetic diversity

• Reasons for this diversity:– Ethiopia’s location near the historical entry point of many livestock

populations from Asia– its diverse topographic and climatic conditions, – the huge livestock population size and – Diverse production systems (production environment)

Species # of breeds

Cattle 27

Sheep 9

Goats 12

Chicken 10

Livestock diversity in Ethiopia!

• What are the factors which have shaped the diversity of livestock in Ethiopia? – Historic– Evolutionary (adaptation)

Threats to animal genetic diversity

– The diversity has suffered considerably due to:• Climate change • Wars and tribal conflicts, • Recurring droughts/famines, • Interbreeding between traditionally isolated

populations, • Uncontrolled crossbreeding programs

– Systematic documentation of livestock biodiversity has been negligible –Info. system

– No planned interventions to curb the threat of loss of genetic diversity

3. The resource base -goat

The genus Capra is divided in to eight species

Ethiopian- two goat species - C. hircus (domestic goat)

- C. ibex walie (Walia ibex – wild goat)

Domestic goat (C. hircus) The resource and genetic diversity

- Total population 23 Million

- The majority in arid and semi arid

lowlands

- Larger flocks

Past and present goat research & development

EIAR – Small ruminant research in 1970

- - Holeta (highland goat) and Werer (Afar

goat)

- Management studies associated with breed

evaluation and improvement programs

- A full-fledged goat research program representing

the semi-arid mixed farming systems has been

carried on at the Adami Tulu research center since

1992.

- However, during the past four decades goat research has

always been a secondary component of the small ruminant

research program

Past and present goat research& development

Dairy goat research and development project - Anglo-Nubian- FARM-Africa, ILRI, MOA, AU, AC- Improve milk production levels of local goats- Characterisation of indigenous goat populations- Sets of morphological characteristics

- The domestic goats of Ethiopia and Eritrea have been classified into four major families/breed

groups and 14 breeds

Domestic goat (C. hircus)

• The Somali family (Short-eared Somali, Long-eared Somali, and Hararghe Highland),

• The Nubian family (Nubian and Barka),• The small Rift valley family (Abergalle, Worre, Afar,

Arsi-Bale, and Woyto-Guji) and• Small East African family (Western Highland, Keffa,

Central Highland and West Lowland).• The names given to the goat types of Ethiopia reflect

mainly their geographical locations and to some extent also their ethnic affiliation.

Geographical distribution of goat breeds

Abergelle

Afar

Barka

Keffa

Central Highland Female

Central Highland Male

Long-eared Somali

Nubian Male

Nubian Female

Western Highland

Western Lowland

Woyto-Guji

Hararghe Highland

Uses and benefits of goat productsin Ethiopia

4. Approaches/principles

What do we mean by (livestock) system?

What is system? – A group of interdependent category component parts

What are the components of livestock system? – Animals (genotypes)– Physical environment– Fixed resources and management– Socio-economics– Relation with other systems or sub-systems

Interaction! – Between the different component parts

How much do we know about the system? Sources of information!

• Collect background information about the breed in question and its production environment

• Past and on going characterization/improvement works, censes etc

• Map the stakeholders in the area (national, regional, district and village level)

• Policy documents, marketing, institutions

• Literature Review (Available knowledge and gaps)• PhD and MSc Theses, project reports, journal articles,

papers in the proceedings, books etc(local and international)

How much do we know about the system and the animal to date? Sources of information!

• Global public-domain databasesDAD-IS of FAO:

– [http://www.fao.org/dad-is]

• EAAP Animal Genetic Databank: •[http://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/index.htm]

• Oklahoma State University breeds database: – [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/ breeds]

• DAGRIS of ILRI:– [http://dagris.ilri.cgiar.org/]

The Approaches & Principles

Market survey

Household survey

Flock/herd performance monitoring

Sampling frames/unit Codes/coding indicators

Feedbacks

Planning & designs

PRA

Site selectionSamplingFrames/unitCodes/codingWhat to sample,Aliquotsindicators

Baseline survey

LAYERS OF SOME LINKED INFORMATION TO CAPTURE, STORE & PROCESS

Geo & Bio-physical data, including pathogen/pest & DNA samples

Sources of livelihoods, indicators & constraints

Markets and market information

Animal roles & herd/flock performance inc. lks

Technical info. Sources & Knowledge management

Related policies and institutional frameworks

Information system (Database)

Approaches & Methodologies

• Exploratory (rapid type) For more details see:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/ba0055e/ba0055e00.pdf

and

• Confirmatory (detailed and repeated)http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2413e/i2413e00.pdf

BUT:

– Can developing countries afford the 2 steps? – Surveys are process heavy & expensive! Can they be more

smartly planned & innovatively done?

Sampling, analysis and interpretation matters!

• Random/purposive across geographic distributions • Village – within and whole –HH as a basic unit• Understand the production environment and rapid

change in production system, Markets, Policy and institutions (e.g. Export market!!!!)– What to sample/measure/observe on the

production environment, Markets, Policy and institutions?

• Understand the within and between breed variability– What to sample/measure/observe on and around

the animal? – Monitoring performances of animals for few but

important traits? – Choice experiment, Raking experiment etc

• Uses, benefits, objectives of the producers

Sampling, analysis and interpretation matters!

• Breeding and breeding management practices• Major constraints• Use of new technologies (Geo-referencing, Cell

phone etc• Indigenous knowledge (uses and management etc)• The right tools of data analysis and interpretation• Molecular characterization! Which technique to use

and for what? – E.g. Use of SSR markers Vs deep sequencing!

• sequencing costs declining fast (genotyping no longer the problem), but we need to smartly collect the associated phenotypic information

Data collected –Should be used!!!!!!

Animal Albums for Identification(innovative way!!!)

Very/very local uses!!!

Global linkage: Chicken diversity global analysis Ethiopia is one of the Genetic hot spots

Practical uses of breed level characterization information?

What, when and how?Purpose:

• Sustainable and improved utilization and/or

• Conservation

Sustainable and improved utilization

• Two ways of improving productivity/performance of an animal/breed– Improving the environment of the animal (Genetic

improvement is not always the solution)– Improving the genetic or genotype of an animal

Animal improvement is NOT necessarily about breeding -Improving the environment of the animal (Genetic improvement is not always the solution)

It should comprise:– Understanding system changes and implications

– Providing knowledge to enable poor farmers to adapt to these changes

– Providing access to relevant market information– Creating (policy) environments that enable the poor to

participate along the livestock value chain– Facilitating/developing institutional arrangements (including

private sector) that empower farmers to make and implement decisions

– The above-Set the stage for genetic improvement (including introduction of alternative genetics)

Improving the genetic or genotype of an animal/breed

All activities/actions and decisions that are intended to improve,

produce, deliver and sustain genotypes that are appropriate for the

objective of the target livestock keepers depends on the choice and

implementation of appropriate breed improvement program

The input for such a choice and decision making comes from good

understanding of the production environment, the animal, markets,

polices, institutions etc THE SYSTEM

Good understanding of the production environment, the animal, markets, polices, institutions etc as an input can be obtained from well planed and implemented production system and breed level characterisation work


Approaches of utilizing the potentials of better adopted indigenous

breeds must be developed when ever possible

But realistic ways of breed improvement must be chosen and applied in

the context of environmental constraints; socioeconomic demands; within

the scopes of management resource available. Aspects of sustainability

and provision of future genetic diversity are critical

The basic principle of conservation: There is no better way of

conserving a breed for future generation than consistently keeping the

breed or population viable by using an efficient, demand-driven and long

term breeding program suitable to commercial or cultural needs of the

producer


An important feature of a genetic improvement program is – its effect

accumulate over time

An economic benefits of a genetic improvement program also

accumulates

So breeding programs should there fore be seen as an investments for

sustainable improvements of animal stock and its potential to produce

food or other goods

Practical uses of characterization information in designing breed improvement programs

• Knowledge of the resources (breed), use, special characteristics, objectives of producers etc – Identify and use merits of animals, marching genotypes to

production environment etc

• Understanding the production environment and the resource available – Animals with high genetic potential requires better management

– Match genotypes with environment

Practical uses of characterization information in designing breed

improvement programs• Understand systems (and different

component parts)– Match interventions (non-genetic) to production

system

• Producer preferences, choice experiments, ranking experiments etc; – Define breeding objectives (realistic and

attainable)


improvement programs

• Understand the mating system and selection practice followed by producers– Help in designing/refining a mating system and selection as a

breeding tools

• Understanding the production and productivity level, within and between breed variation– If need be the genetic potential of animals can be improved

implementing one of the different breeding programs– Help in the choice of a breeding method ----which is perhaps the

most important decision in designing a breeding program


improvement programs

• A thorough analyse/understanding of the function of the animal in the entire system

• An understanding of the many interaction among the many components of the system

• Are the key to determine a trait of importance and optimum genotype for those traits in the system


improvement programs -Example:

– If animals in a population showed greater variability (Phenotypic and Genetic) in productivity under similar management

• That variability passes to their offspring's

– Then the choice of Genetic (breed) improvement method will be Selection (allows superior animals to become the parents of the next generation)

» But the traits of choice is important and should be heritable, variable and measurable for success

» And genetic progress through selection depends

on the heritability value of the trait of choice, selection deferential and generation interval

Communication results is Mr KEY

WITH

WHO?

Donors

Policy

makers

Dev.

partners

Scientists

Farmers

NARES

HOW?

Tech, reports

Policy briefs

Video clips

Press release

Farmer workshops

Sci, publications

Field days

Expert meetings

Seminars

Training courses

WHY?

Awareness

creation

Enhance

capacity

Empower

Share new

knowledge

Co-learn ..

Remember: The Ultimate goal is to make a positive impact and at scale!

Improved Livelihood/

Environment

Assessments of: livelihood, genetic diversity, husbandry practices, feeding/forages. Market opportunities

Improved FAnGR husbandryImproved FAnGr breeds (later)Improved nutritionImproved incomes

Improved Strategies•Husbandry practices•FAnGR breeds•Markets & marketing•Household food & nutrition security

=

(Capacity Building)

Assessments of: livelihood, genetic diversity, husbandry practices, feeding/

forages. Market opportunities

Survey/assessments

Ultimately: Facilitating farmers to successfully breed the genotypes they desire

As seen in the developed world, huge gains can be unlocked through genetics

To fully benefit from breed improvement requires a system approach (community/farmer) participation, health, nutrition etc

This can also be a catalyst for improving the wider system –triggering input supply, better marketing etc

Unlike many other types of intervention, benefits can span generations

however…

but…

and…

Genetic improvement of livestock is complex, but can deliver substantial and long-lasting benefits

Excellent example from Pakistan

Long term commitment!!!!!

Great Grand Father Grand Father Father Son

Some concluding remarks

• Guidelines are guidelines; adapt them accordingly • Focus on key information but document well • Make it participatory and focus on the desired outcomes

not the immediate outputs! • Employ appropriate analytical procedures, else! • Smart use of IT & IK can save energy, money and

guarantee good outputs and desired outcomes! • Thoroughly test indigenous FAnGRs before condemning

them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!• Consider how to document/catalogue, monitor the

information & bio-bank samples collected

Biodiversity, resource base, animal breed level characterization, and utility of the information for...

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