Genetic Variability and Management in Nero di Parma Swine Breed to Preserve Local Diversity

Abstract

Nero di Parma is an endangered swine breed reared in the North of Italy which nowadays counts 1603 alive pigs. The aims of this study were (i) to explore the genetic diversity of the breed at pedigree level to determine the actual genetic structure, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of the breeding recovery project and (iii) to potentially propose breeding strategies for the coming generations. The pedigree dataset contained 14,485 animals and was used to estimate demographic and genetic parameters. The mean equivalent complete generations was equal to 6.47 in the whole population, and it reached a mean value of 7.94 in the live animals, highlighting the quality of the available data. Average inbreeding was 0.28 in the total population, whereas it reached 0.31 in the alive animals and it decreased to 0.27 if only breeding animals were considered. The rate of inbreeding based on the individual increase in inbreeding was equal to 7%. This study showed the effectiveness of the recovery project of the breed. Nevertheless, we found that inbreeding and genetic diversity have reached alarming levels, therefore novel breeding strategies must be applied to ensure long-term survival of this breed.

Estimation of population differentiation using pedigree and molecular data in Black Slavonian pig

“…The Ne estimated from genealogical data was 23.58, thus placing the Black Slavonian pig population among breeds with endangered genetic diversity. The Ne from pedigree data was higher than that estimated for Nero di Parma breed (7.68; Mariani et al, 2020), Mora Romagnola breed (10.87;Crovetti et al, 2013) and Gamito line of the Iberian pig (16.0; Silió et al, 2016). On the other hand, higher Ne was observed in Cinta Sinese breed (40.32;Crovetti et al, 2013) and Torbiscal line of the Iberian pig (57.7; Silió et al, 2016).…”

Genetic Diversity and Signatures of Selection in a Native Italian Horse Breed Based on SNP Data

“…The evaluation of genetic diversity with traditional methods based on pedigree analyses have been widely used to manage animals’ genetic resources. In small livestock populations, where financial support is generally a limiting factor, pedigree-based methods are still commonly adopted due to their cost–effectiveness ratio [ 5 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. However, with novel molecular and bioinformatics approaches, genetic variability can be more proficiently evaluated by using genomic information, and could lead to more precise and effective conservation programs.…”

Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of a Local Pig Breed Using Pedigree and SNP Data

“…The GI of the PBP breed (2.5 years on average, see Table 2 ) is relatively long compared to that in commercial breeds (ranking from 1.40 to 1.95 years), as observed previously [ 16 , 33 , 34 ]. In contrast, comparable values of average parent age (2.24 to 2.69 years) were measured in various local pig breeds [ 35 , 36 ]. The differences of GI found in our study within the individual selection paths indicate the application of divergent selection pressure.…”