Present status of the conservation of livestock genetic resources in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil has various species of domestic animals, which developed from breeds brought by the Portuguese settlers soon after the discovery of the country. After being submitted to a long process of natural selection, these breeds present characteristics adapted to specific Brazilian environmental conditions, and are known as "criollo", "local" or naturalized breeds. From the beginning of the 20th century, some exotic breeds, selected in temperate regions, have begun to be imported, and, although more productive, they do not have adaptive traits, such as resistance to disease and parasites found in the naturalized breeds. Even so, they gradually replaced the native breeds, to such an extent that the latter are in danger of extinction. To avoid further loss of this important genetic material, in 1983 the National Research Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Cenargen) of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) decided to include conservation of animal genetic resources among its priorities. The conservation activities have been conducted under the Brazilian Genetic Resources Network -Renargen, and is carried out by various research centres of Embrapa, universities and State research institutions, as well as by private farmers, with a single coordinator at national level, Cenargen. The in situ conservation of cattle, horses, buffaloes, donkeys, goats, sheep and pigs is being carried out by Conservation Nuclei, located in the animal's original habitat. Ex situ conservation is centred at the Brazilian Animal Germplasm Bank (AGB), kept at Cenargen. This is responsible for the storage of semen and embryos of various breeds of domestic animals threatened with extinction. Presently the AGB has almost 60,000 doses of semen and more than 250 embryos, as well as over 7000 DNA samples. An important challenge for this program is to increase awareness within the different segments of society in terms of the importance of the conservation of animal genetic resources. The development and evolution of Renargen and its efforts to facilitate the conservation of genetic resources of livestock in Brazil are described in this paper.

Ancestry analysis of locally adapted Crespa goats from southernmost Brazil

“…The historical importance and unique genetic characteristics of this newly identified ecotype may not be sufficient to encourage its conservation, making it necessary to implement economic incentives. The maintenance of any domestic population is the direct responsibility of the owners, and it is important to promote it accordingly, in cooperation with official authorities (Mariante et al, 2009). The most important point is that these animals should be considered part of the history of the Palmas region, i.e., a cultural heritage, which might increase their commercial value.…”

Growth curve of locally adapted pantaneiro cows raised under natural conditions

“…Thus, with better nutrition, these animals could better express their production potential and development, with a possible decrease in the age at the inflection point. Moreover, because it is a genetic group that was only subjected to natural selection (Mariante et al, 2009), the animals present performance traits that can be useful in breeding and conservation programs, to reduce age of body maturity.…”

“…Thus, the Pantaneiro cattle is an excellent option for sustainable production in the Pantanal region due to its unique traits, acquired after almost 500 years of natural selection, which even include the habit of grazing in flooded areas (Mariante et al, 2009).…”

Sistemas De Alimentación Para Las Cabras Y Evaluación Cualitativa De Los Piensos a Los Que Se Tienen Acceso Durante La Temporada De Seca: Dos Estudios De Caso Del Altiplano Mexicano

“…Una de las preocupaciones que se expresó en este sentido fue que la vegetación con espinas afectó el comportamiento alimenticio de las cabras exóticas y dañó el bienestar de los animales, lo que pudo haber contribuido con una escasa producción y mortalidad; otros estudios señalan a los problemas reproductivos de las razas exóticas de clima templado en ambientes tropicales (Mellado et al, 2006;Mariante et al, 2009;Dickson-Urdaneta et al, 2000). Esto debe ser considerado en actividades de desarrollo futuro con el fin de convencer a los granjeros que ellos son capaces de mantener animales de cría altamente productivos o especialmente valiosos solo si implementan medidas de manejo adecuadas.…”

“…One concern expressed in this respect was that the spiny vegetation affected feeding behavior of the exotic goats and impaired animal welfare, which might have contributed to poor production and mortalities. Other studies pointed to reproductive problems of exotic temperate breeds in tropic environments (Mellado et al, 2006;Mariante et al, 2009;Dickson-Urdaneta et al, 2000). This should be considered in future development activities in order to convince farmers that they are able to maintain highly productive or especially valuable breeding animals only if they implement appropriate management measures.…”