Conservation of genetic resources of farm animals

Abstract

The problem of preserving the genetic resources of farm animals and breed diversity is one of the priorities in the global livestock industry. As of September 1, 2023, the State Breeding Register of the Russian Federation registered 83 gene pool farms for breeding 63 breeds of 16 species of farm animals, of which 42 are domestic breeds bred in 23 of the 89 constituents of the Russian Federation. As a consequence, it requires the creation of a national system for preserving the gene pool of farm animals based on legislative, economic and biological principles for them. The main centers of breeds formation and the current state of the local breeds in the Russian Federation have been examined in detail in the article. Ways to improve the legislative framework in the fi eld of preserving breed diversity and economic stimulation of gene pool farms were proposed. At the same time, the optimal approach for the selection of small in number local breeds is the use of traditional evaluation of their breeding value together with genotyping for a number of specific genetic markers. The authors have developed appropriate proposals for the conservation of the gene pool of national breeds of farm animals such as: 1) the adoption of the Federal Law on the Conservation of Agrobiodiversity and the creation of an Advisory Council under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and the Russian Academy of Sciences for the conservation of gene pool breeds of animals; 2) the formation of a network of gene pool farms for the main types of farm animals, with their inventory at the genetic level, the creation of information bases and the Federal Bank for the cryopreservation of semen, embryos and DNA of animals of gene pool breeds with budgetary fi nancing of gene pool livestock.