Post on 18-May-2015
description
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
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 and opportunities of animal breeding for poverty/livelihood impact
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
Improving the genetic or genotype of an animal/breed
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
Improving the genetic or genotype of an animal/breed
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)
Practical uses of characterization information in designing breed
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
Practical uses of characterization information in designing breed
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
Practical uses of characterization information in designing breed
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