Livestock (1993) / Chapter Skim
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5 National Programs
5 National Programs
Pages 97-110
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From page 97... ...
Each country should determine which of its animal populations are endangered and which merit protection. Nevertheless, national programs to manage genetic resources will have many common technical and organizational elements.
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From page 98... ...
Researchers affiliated with universities and agricultural experiment stations help to identify genetic resources or to maintain and develop germplasm resources, although not as much as breed associations or private industries do (Office of Technology Assessment, 1987~. Some developing countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, China, and India, have developed national strategies and established programs in the past 10 to 15 years.
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From page 99... ...
India The animal genetic resources of the Indian subcontinent are large and diverse. Important livestock populations include draft cattle, milk buffaloes, carpet wool sheep, and highly prolific goats.
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From page 100... ...
Support comes entirely from private contributions and corporate grants. The RBST is an umbrella organization offering networking services to coordinate the voluntary activities of breeders of rare breeds, Farm parks act as educational visitor centers while conserving rare breeds.
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From page 101... ...
The AMBC has accomplished much work in identifying, rescuing, and restoring rare breeds and stocks, including Milking Devon and Dutch Belted cattle, Jacob and Navajo-Churro sheep, Dominique chickens, and Pilgrim geese. It has been developing recommended procedures for reproducing and maintaining rare poultry stocks.
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From page 102... ...
Similarly, the genetic characterization and evaluation for potential use should be, if possible, a prominent element of conservation programs. The dual goals of livestock improvement and conservation of genetic diversity must be addressed as dual components of an integrated genetic resource management program that aggressively pursues genetic improvement while protecting the genetic resources needed for improvement.
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From page 103... ...
Populations The maintenance of working herds, flocks, or populations is the predominant method for conserving animal genetic diversity in the commercial sector. However, for rare stocks, especially those that are not economically competitive, conservation through commercial sector activities may not be effective.
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From page 104... ...
Thus when indigenous populations are threatened by imported stocks, national actions are necessary to ensure their conservation. Collaboration with Other Programs National programs should interact with other national, regional, and global efforts to conserve and manage animal genetic resources.
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From page 105... ...
sources to participate in multilateral or bilateral efforts to aid the maintenance of genetic diversity in developing countries. International aid could support preserving indigenous breeds or locally adapted populations that are threatened by replacement or serious dilution and lack adequate evaluation.
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From page 106... ...
A national program should determine its need to pursue new research efforts, which should be of practical and immediate application, and in areas not addressed by other programs. Research areas needing attention include: characterization and evaluation of indigenous populations; cryopreservation technology for avian semen, swine and poultry embryos, and semen and embryos of minor species and wild relatives; collection of oocytes, in vitro fertilization, embryo splitting, nuclear transfers, and cloning of embryos; development of effective field techniques for collecting semen and embryos; molecular techniques to measure genetic differences within and between breeds; development and utilization of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
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From page 107... ...
The newly developing techniques of embryo transfer offer another means for introducing germplasm, but success has been mixed, in part because of a lack of appropriate infrastructures for artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and communication and education among small livestock producers. Only when conditions permit the whole transfer of modern production technology and genetic stocks has it been possible to replace existing populations with introduced ones.
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From page 108... ...
However, smaller developing countries are often unable to devote resources to develop their own programs. RECOMMENDATIONS The primary aim of national animal germplasm conservation programs is to ensure the maintenance and accessibility of sufficient livestock genetic diversity to support increases in animal production in a variety of systems, and to accommodate changes in selection goals, production environments, and market requirements.
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From page 109... ...
Operational programs that implement strategic genetic conservation activities and prevent further loss of potentially valuable livestock genetic resources should be established. The issues surrounding the conservation and use of animal genetic resources have been discussed and debated in numerous forums for more than 30 years.
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From page 110... ...
However, in developing countries, far less has been accomplished in terms of organized studies to inventory, characterize, and compare livestock populations, and often there is still insufficient information on which to base management decisions.
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