The effect of geographical region of birth on the reproductive performance of the Nguni in southern Mozambique

S Maciel,Am Okeyo,J Amimo,Fwc Neser,M Martins,Mm Scholtz

doi:10.4314/sajas.v43i5.11

S Maciel, Am Okeyo + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v43i5.11

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of place of birth on the reproductive performance of two Nguni ecotypes (Nguni and Landim) raised in a sub-tropical environment to enhance strategies for livestock development and restocking programmes within the southern African region. Reproduction data collected between 1994 and 2009 from 301 cows of the Landim (n = 122) and Nguni (n = 179) ecotypes were analysed. Results indicated that ecotype and place of birth had significant effects on age at first calving (AFC) and calving interval (CI). The means for AFC were 1085 and 1003 days, those for CI were 422 and 436 days, while the calving rate (CR) was 90.0% and 85.7% for the Nguni and Landim, respectively. This study demonstrates for the first time a possible genotype by environment interaction between Nguni ecotypes. This might aid future cattle development and restocking programmes in southern Africa, taking into consideration the adaptation of indigenous genotypes and climate change.Keywords: Age at first calving, calving interval, ecotypes, Landim, environment

Highlights

The common genetic background of the different Nguni cattle ecotypes existing in South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe is derived from three main migration routes through southern Africa within the Sanga group, and is the result of the interaction between the environment and the genotype over a period of 1200 years (Ramsay, 1988)
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of place of birth on the reproductive performance of two Nguni ecotypes (Nguni and Landim) raised in a sub-tropical environment to enhance strategies for URL: http://www.sasas.co.za ISSN 0375-1589, ISSN 222-4062 Publisher: South African Society for Animal Science
Animals were commercially managed on natural grasslands with feed supplementation during dry seasons, which consisted of a mixture of milled Sorghum sudanensis and Panicum maximum hay, mixed with molasses and chicken manure

Summary

Introduction

The common genetic background of the different Nguni cattle ecotypes existing in South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe is derived from three main migration routes through southern Africa within the Sanga group, and is the result of the interaction between the environment and the genotype over a period of 1200 years (Ramsay, 1988). In Mozambique the Landim, a Nguni ecotype, was numerically the largest indigenous cattle breed (Rocha, 1985; Maciel, 2001), largely distributed among the provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane in the southern region, where the tsetse fly challenge was low (Rocha et al, 1991). When the civil war ended, Mozambique started a Livestock Restocking Programme importing indigenous cattle breeds from neighbouring countries, especially South Africa, to re-establish the national cattle population and industry. In 1996, nuclei herds of Nguni ecotypes from South Africa and Landim ecotypes from the Chobela research station were placed at the Impaputo Breeding Centre (PFI), on the Swaziland border. The main goals were to establish an “ex-situ” conservation programme and increase cattle numbers in order to meet the national demands for indigenous cattle and their products

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