Effects Of Inbreeding Research Articles

Hazelnut (Corylus domestica Kos. et Opal.) breeding results for anthropoadaptability

Aim. Hazelnut (Corylus domestica Kos. et Opal.) fruits are valuable raw materials for the confectionery industry, the production of biologically active additives to food products and feed, as well as for obtaining from hazelnut oil the liposomal nanoemulsions and nanodispersions, which are part of medicinal preparations. The domestic hazelnut production level is insufficient and unable to satisfy either the needs of the processing industry or the demand of the population of Ukraine for fresh nuts. This motivated the search for ways to improve the assortment of this nut-bearing crop, foremost the creation of new cultivars in possession of anthropoadaptive features complexes. Methods. Study of the alien and originating in the NDP "Sofiyivka" of the NAS of Ukraine Corylus spp. specimens. During hybridization, the sleeve cages made of dense FPP-15 (Petrianov filter linen) fabric were used to isolate branches with female flowers. Pollination was done without removing the cages, injecting pollen into the cage with insufflator MO-03. The parental pairs' selection for crossing, and growing, evaluation, and selection of hybrid seedlings was done using standard methods. Results. It turned out that the segregation spectra for economic and useful traits of the anthropoadaptive complex in the progeny of seedlings from controlled intraspecific crosses did not significantly differ from the seedlings obtained as a result of free cross-pollination of hazelnut cultivars of the NDP "Sofiyivka" collection. Instead, the involvement of specimens of C. chinensis and C. avellana 'Fuscorubra' in the hybridization contributed to obtaining a number of new hazelnut cultivars. At the same time, in contrast to literature data, hybrids from pollination of hazelnut cultivars with C. chinensis pollen were better than in reciprocal combinations. So new highly productive cultivar 'Sofiivskyi 15' was selected from the seedling population of ('Garibaldi'×C. chinensis). Conclusions. This discrepancy between the results of our crosses and the literature data can be explained by the fact that our C. chinensis specimens were introduced not from the initial natural area (China South-Central), but from the collection of Berlin Botanical Garden (Botanischer Garten Berlin-Dahlem) where they could spontaneously be pollinated with some other Corylus spp. The advantages of our new hazelnut cultivars: 'Sofiyivsky 1'; "Sofiyivsky 2"; and 'Sofiyivsky 15', which have been included in the State register of plant varieties suitable for dissemination in Ukraine since 2019, testify to the effectiveness of hazelnut breeding for anthropoadaptability.

Efecto de Akaushi (Wagyu), Angus y Brahman como razas paternas sobre el crecimiento pre-destete de becerros

Objective. To evaluate pre-weaning growth traits of Angus-, Brahman- and Wagyu-sired calves. Materials and methods. One-hundred seventy one calves were produced by artificial insemination in nine herds in the state of Puebla (subtropical environment; n=83) and four herds in the state of Veracruz (tropical environment; n=88), Mexico. Eleven Angus, 15 Brahman, and 5 Wagyu bulls, sired the calves. Average age at weaning was 219 days. The analyses were carried out with the MIXED procedure of SAS. The model included the effects of breed of sire, sex of calf, birth season, state of the country, and herd nested within state. In addition, the model for actual weaning weight included the linear effect of calf age at weaning. Results. Brahman-sired calves were heavier at birth (p<0.05) than Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves; however, Angus-, Brahman- and Wagyu-sired calves had similar average daily gains from birth to weaning (p>0.05). Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves had similar actual weaning weights (p>0.05), but Brahman-sired calves were heavier at weaning (p<0.05) than Wagyu-sired calves. Sex of calf and season of birth were not significant sources of variation (p>0.05) for any trait. Calves reared in subtropical conditions were heavier at weaning (p<0.05) than those reared in tropical conditions. Conclusions. In general, Brahman-sired calves had a better pre-weaning performance than Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves.

Purging due to self-fertilization does not prevent accumulation of expansion load.

As species expand their geographic ranges, colonizing populations face novel ecological conditions, such as new environments and limited mates, and suffer from evolutionary consequences of demographic change through bottlenecks and mutation load accumulation. Self-fertilization is often observed at species range edges and, in addition to countering the lack of mates, is hypothesized as an evolutionary advantage against load accumulation through increased homozygosity and purging. We study how selfing impacts the accumulation of genetic load during range expansion via purging and/or speed of colonization. Using simulations, we disentangle inbreeding effects due to demography versus due to selfing and find that selfers expand faster, but still accumulate load, regardless of mating system. The severity of variants contributing to this load, however, differs across mating system: higher selfing rates purge large-effect recessive variants leaving a burden of smaller-effect alleles. We compare these predictions to the mixed-mating plant Arabis alpina, using whole-genome sequences from refugial outcrossing populations versus expanded selfing populations. Empirical results indicate accumulation of expansion load along with evidence of purging in selfing populations, concordant with our simulations, suggesting that while purging is a benefit of selfing evolving during range expansions, it is not sufficient to prevent load accumulation due to range expansion.

Variability of fiber content in the stems of different varieties of fiber flax

The analysis of experimental data on the evaluation of seed lots of fiber flax of domestic varieties for genetic uniformity by the method of soil control according to the trait "fiber content in the stem" for the period from 1953 to 2022 was carried out. Seed material for evaluation was obtained from breeding and seed-growing institutions in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The purpose of the research was to assess the level of variability of the trait "fiber content in the stems" of fiber flax and the effectiveness of domestic breeding in this direction for 70 years. Using the Svetoch variety as an example, it was shown that the differences between seed lots (from 4 to 11 lots of various scientific institutions were estimated annually) based on the results of 13 years of testing ranged from 0.4 to 2.5 abs. percent within one year, the coefficient of variation was from 0.52 to 3.14 %, which indicated the high stability of this trait. At the same time, the value of the trait in this variety, depending on the growing conditions for the period from 1953 to 1972 ranged from 27.9 to 35.4 %, the coefficient of variation on average over 20 years was 6.8 %, the average value of the trait was 31.7 %. In variety Tomsky 18, for the period of testing from 1993 to 2022, the value of the trait was in the range from 25.5 to 35.0 % (Cv = 8.4 %). The biological potential of modern varieties of fiber flax – Krom, A-29, Diplomat, Cesar, Visit and Tomsky 17 made it possible to obtain a fiber content in the stem in some years at the level of 38.1...39.8 %, with an average value of the trait – 32.8…35.2 % (Cv = 9.6…14.9 %). The highest and most stable fiber content in the stem of 36 studied modern domestic varieties of fiber flax was found in Sursky variety, in which the value of the trait on average over the years of testing was 34.5 %, the coefficient of variation was 6.4 %, which indicated a high level of adaptability.

Effects of sheep breed and grass silage quality on voluntary feed intake and enteric methane emissions in adult dry ewes

Forty adult dry ewes in early pregnancy participated in a 2 × 2 factorial design study to investigate the effects of two grass silage qualities (Early vs. Average; 7.12 vs 5.74 MJ of net energy lactation per kg dry matter (DM)) and two breeds (Norwegian White Sheep, NWS; Old Norwegian Spæl, ONS) on voluntary feed intake and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Ewes of the two breeds were equally mixed in two groups and assigned to Early and Average silage quality for first part of the experiment and switched for the second part of the experiment. Each period of the experiment lasted for three weeks; one week of adaptation and two weeks of measurements. The ewes were housed in individual pens and fed silage ad libitum. Feed intake was continuously logged using the BioControl System. Enteric CH4 was measured for 10 weekdays in Portable Accumulation Chambers in each period. Average body weight (BW) for NWS and ONS were 91 and 60 kg, respectively. ONS had significantly (p < 0.0001) lower daily DM intake (DMI), DMI/kg BW, daily NDF intake, NDF/kg BW, g CH4/day and g CH4/kg BW, compared to the NWS. The Early grass silage (p < 0.0001) resulted in higher daily DMI (kg DMI/day, kg DMI/kg BW), and higher enteric CH4 emissions/kg BW when offered to the ewes, compared to the Average grass silage. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) between breed and grass silage quality were observed for both measures of feed intake and CH4 emission. The results show that breed differences in CH4 emission is strongly linked to DMI, however breed differences were still present after correcting for DMI, which indicated breed differences not explained by BW or DMI. Persistent breed differences after correcting for DMI may be related to contrasts in rumen passage rate, NDF digestibility, rumen microbiome, fermentation rate etc. We conclude that improved grass silage quality may be a potential mitigation option. However, to avoid weight gain in early pregnancy in an ad libitum feeding regime, the practical applicability may be limited to periods with higher feed requirements, such as in late pregnancy and early lactation. The breed differences in enteric CH4 emission need to be related to productivity (e.g., fecundity, lamb growth rate). Potential breed differences not explained by body size and/or DMI need to be further investigated.

Mean breed performance of the progeny from beef-on-dairy matings

Gains through breeding can be achieved through a combination of both between-breed and within-breed selection. Two suites of traits of particular interest to dairy producers when selecting beef bulls for mating to dairy females are calving-related attributes and the expected value of the subsequent calf, the latter usually being a function of expected carcass value. Estimated breed effects can be informative, particularly in the absence of across-breed genetic evaluations. The objective of the present study was to use a large national database of the progeny from beef-on-dairy matings to estimate the mean breed effects of the used beef sires. Calving performance (i.e., gestation length, calving difficulty score, and perinatal morality) as well as calf value were investigated; a series of slaughter-related traits (i.e., carcass metrics and age at slaughter) of the prime progeny were also investigated. Phenotypic data on up to 977,037 progeny for calving performance, 79,903 for calf price and 103,175 for carcass traits (including dairyxdairy progeny for comparative purposes) were used; sire breeds represented were Holstein-Friesian, Angus, Aubrac, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Hereford, Limousin, Salers and Simmental. Large inter-breed differences existed. The mean gestation length of male calves from beef sires varied from 282.3 d (Angus) to 287.4 d (Limousin) which were all longer than the mean of 280.9 d for Holstein-Friesian sired male calves. Relative to a Holstein-Friesian sire, the odds of dystocia varied from 1.43 (Angus) to 4.77 (Belgian Blue) but, once adjusted for both the estimated maternal genetic merit of the dam and direct genetic merit of the calf for calving difficulty, the range in odds ratios shrunk. A difference of €125.4 existed in calf sale price between the progeny of the different beef breeds investigated which represented over twice the residual standard deviation in calf price within the day of sale - Angus was the cheapest while Charolais calves were, on average, the most expensive calves. Mean carcass weight of steers, not adjusted for age at slaughter or carcass fat, varied from 327.1 kg (Angus) to 363.2 kg (Belgian Blue) for the beef breeds with the mean carcass weight of Holstein-Friesian steer progeny being 322.4 kg. Belgian Blues had, on average, the best carcass conformation with the Herefords and Angus having the worst of all beef breeds. Angus and Hereford steers were slaughtered the youngest of all beef breeds but just 9 d younger than the average of all other beef breeds yet 24 d younger than Holstein-Friesian sired progeny. Clear breed differences in calving and carcass performance exist among beef breeds mated to dairy females. Those breeds excelling in calving performance were not necessarily the best for carcass merit.

A comparative study of muscle nutrition and intermuscular bone number in improved diploid carp

The common carp (Cyprinus carpio L., COC, 2n = 100) is one of the most widely consumed and distributed freshwater fish in the world. It ranks fourth in total freshwater aquaculture volume in various regions of China, behind Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, and Aristichthys nobilis. However, in recent years, environmental degradation, inbreeding, disordered breeding, and other adverse effects have caused problems such as low seed quality and poor disease and stress resistance of the carp. In our laboratory, we developed two types of improved diploid carp the hybrid F1 of common carp (♀) × blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala, BSB, 2n = 48) (♂). To investigate the differences between IDC and IDMC compared to COC, in this study we compared the relevant characteristics of these two types of improved carp with those of COC in terms of muscle nutrient composition, intermuscular bone type, and number. The results showed that among the muscle nutrients, IDC had a higher protein content (18.50%) and lower carbohydrate content (0.70%). In addition, the unsaturated fatty acid content of IDC (3.45%) and IDMC (1.25%) were significantly higher than that of COC (P < 0.05) (0.50%). For monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid (OA, C18:1 n-9) and linoleic acid (PA, C16:1), the content of IDC and IDMC were also abundant. In terms of intermuscular bone morphology, the morphology and type of intermuscular bone in IDC and IDMC medullary arch ossicles were consistent with those of COC. However, the number of intermuscular bones was different, and the average number of intermuscular bones of IDMC decreased by 14.77% (P < 0.05) compared with COC. The advantages of IDC and IDMC are different, with IDC having a higher value of muscle nutrients and IDMC having a lower intermuscular bone content. The distant hybridization of common carp (♀) × blunt snout bream (♂) developed two improved diploid carp varieties with excellent traits, which added carp germplasm resources with high muscle nutrition and lower intermuscular bone, and provided theoretical support for their production application.

Effect of Breeds on Milk Yield and Persistency of Cows Raised under Extensive Management System in Nigeria

Milk persistence in dairy cows is an economically important trait that will determine profit for the dairy industry and will help to overcome immeasurable diseases in dairy. cows. This study looked at the best breed that will maintain persistency for a certain time and ranked the animals based on milk yield and persistency. The study used a total of 60 nursing cows, 20 Sokoto Gudali, 20 White Fulani, and 20 Red Bororo were used for the daily milk collection. The total milk collected in a week was added together and divided by seven days to get the average daily milk yield for each breed (Sokoto Gudali, White Fulani and Red Bororo). The duration of the milking periods was recorded in days. Persistency of milk yield was computed by the ratio of the lactation period and divided into four equal periods of 30 days each. The total 30-day milk yield of each period per cow was calculated. Data collected were analyzed using the general Linear Model of the SAS program while significant means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results revealed that the Sokoto Gudali cows yielded significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher daily milk (4.13 - 4.31 L/day) whereas Red Bororo (0.72 - 0.94 L/day) was lowest in week 1. At week two, Sokoto Gudali (4.09 - 4.31 L/day) had the highest milk whereas Red Bororo (0.82 - 1.04 L/day) was the least. At week three, Sokoto Gudali (4.19 - 4.39 L/day) had a significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher daily milk whereas Red Bororo (0.74 - 0.90 L/day). In week 4 same trends were also observed. Sokoto Gudali (4.19) was ranked to be superior (1), followed by the White Fulani (1.62) with the breed (2) whereas the Red Bororo (0.89) was the least (3) in terms of total milk yield. The average weekly milk yield persistency showed that Sokoto Gudali and the Red Bororo breeds were maintained at high persistency from week one through week four without a significant decline. Breeds influenced daily milk yield from week 1 to week 4. The overall ranking of breeds on milk yield revealed that Sokoto Gudali was ranked the highest followed by White Fulani and the least was Red Bororo.

A Multibreed Genome-Wide Association Study for Cattle Leukocyte Telomere Length.

Telomeres are terminal DNA regions of chromosomes that prevent chromosomal fusion and degradation during cell division. In cattle, leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with longevity, productive lifespan, and disease susceptibility. However, the genetic basis of LTL in this species is less studied than in humans. In this study, we utilized the whole-genome resequencing data of 239 animals from 17 cattle breeds for computational leukocyte telomere length estimation and subsequent genome-wide association study of LTL. As a result, we identified 42 significant SNPs, of which eight were found in seven genes (EXOC6B, PTPRD, RPS6KC1, NSL1, AGBL1, ENSBTAG00000052188, and GPC1) when using covariates for two major breed groups (Turano-Mongolian and European). Association analysis with covariates for breed effect detected 63 SNPs, including 13 in five genes (EXOC6B, PTPRD, RPS6KC1, ENSBTAG00000040318, and NELL1). The PTPRD gene, demonstrating the top signal in analysis with breed effect, was previously associated with leukocyte telomere length in cattle and likely is involved in the mechanism of alternative lengthening of telomeres. The single nucleotide variants found could be tested for marker-assisted selection to improve telomere-length-associated traits.

Effect of ewe birth litter size and estimation of genetic parameters on ewe reproductive life traits.

Ewe lifetime productivity has economic implications for producers because shorter lifetime productivity results in less profit. Productive years of ewes from extensive, range-based systems of the United States West are generally less than ewes from more temperate regions of the United States. Accordingly, ewes from range-based systems, especially those employing shed-lambing strategies, have been selected for increased litter size to offset decreased lifetime productivity. However, the relationship of the ewe's birth litter size (ELSB) has not been considered a potential contributor to lifetime productivity. Longevity (number of productive years, n=1 per population) and stayability (probability to survive to the next age; ages 2-7years, n=6 per population) were investigated to understand ELSB effects on productive life. Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee breeds were used in this study. Across-breed (n=11550) and within-breed (Columbia, n=4398; Polypay, n=4534; Rambouillet, n=5922; Targhee, n=6482) analyses were used. Depending on the population, records spanned from 1950 to 2008, where ewe's birth year was included as a fixed effect in the animal model using restricted maximum likelihood estimation procedures. Fixed effects investigated included ELSB (single-, twin-, or triplet-born) and ewe breed (across-breed analyses only). Regardless of trait or population used, heritability ranged from 0.06±0.02 to 0.34±0.03, where stayability at younger ages had the highest estimates. The breed effect was significant in all across-breed analyses (0.0001≤P≤0.038; n=7), where Polypay, a breed selected for accelerated lambing and increased fertility, averaged shorter productive life or had a lower probability of survival to the next age compared with other breeds (longevity: 0.009≤P≤0.223; stayability: 0.000≤P≤0.842). The ELSB was significant in 60% (n=5) and 37% (n=30) of longevity and stayability analyses, respectively. Except for Targhee, all analyses showed ewes born in smaller litter sizes were associated with longer productive lives or higher probability of surviving to the next age, particularly in across-breed analyses (e.g., longevity: single- vs twin-born ewes, P=0.004; vs triplet-born ewes, P=0.003). This study provides evidence that increasing prolificacy in ewes from extensive, range-based production systems may impact productive life. Due to the low heritability of these traits, additional investigation into modeling these traits with dominance effects and litter size needs to be conducted.

Exploring salt tolerance in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.] genotypes: A physiological and biochemical perspective

Salinity is a crucial problem affecting the productivity of crops across the globe and poses a serious threat to agricultural food production and food security. Salinity stress adversely affects the growth and development of plants by reducing growth attributes, chlorophyll content, and relative water content and further, led to nutritional toxicities and high osmotic stress. The present investigation was employed to assess the response of ten mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.] genotypes under different regimes of salt concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300 mM NaCl) for tolerance potential using principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA analysis of studied attributes found that Pusa Jai Kisan was salt-tolerant and Pusa Bold was susceptible under different salt conditions compared to the rest of the mustard genotypes. The reduction in morphological attributes, the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), total chlorophyll, and relative water content was lower in Pusa Jai Kisan and higher in Pusa Bold with increasing concentrations of salinity. In addition, the accumulation of Na+ and Cl‒ ions was increased with increasing salinity stress. Based on growth performance, ten genotypes of mustard were ranked depending on their tolerance to salinity stress: Pusa Jai Kisan > Pusa Mustard 30 > Pusa Jagannath > Pusa Mustard 28 > Pusa Vijay > Pusa Tarak > Pusa Mustard 25 > Pusa Mustard 27 > Pusa Mahak > Pusa Bold, respectively. Thus, PCA analysis can be used as a powerful tool for the identification of tolerant and susceptible genotypes under salinity stress. The understanding of mustard responses towards salinity stress could help in the selection of tolerant genotypes and this selection may play a crucial role in further improving the effectiveness of breeding.

Epistasis-aware genome-wide association studies provide insights into the efficient breeding of high-yield and high-quality rice

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) breeding have greatly improved the efficiency of rice breeding. Due to the influences of epistasis and gene pleiotropy, ensuring the actual breeding effect of MAS and GS is still a difficult challenge to overcome. In this study, 113 indica rice varieties (V) and their 565 testcross hybrids (TC) were used as the materials to investigate the genetic basis of 12 quality traits and nine agronomic traits. The original traits and general combining ability of the parents, as well as the original traits and mid-parent heterosis of TC, were subjected to genome-wide association analysis. In total, 381 primary significantly associated loci (SAL) and 1,759 secondary SALs that had epistatic interactions with these primary SALs were detected. Among these loci, 322 candidate genes located within or nearby the SALs were screened, 204 of which were cloned genes. A total of 39 MAS molecular modules that are beneficial for trait improvement were identified by pyramiding the superior haplotypes of candidate genes and desirable epistatic alleles of the secondary SALs. All the SALs were used to construct genetic networks, in which 91 pleiotropic loci were investigated. Additionally, we estimated the accuracy of genomic prediction in the parent V and TC by incorporating either no SALs, primary SALs, secondary SALs or epistatic effect SALs as covariates. Although the prediction accuracies of the four models were generally not significantly different in the TC dataset, the incorporation of primary SALs, secondary SALs, and epistatic effect SALs significantly improved the prediction accuracies of 5 (26%), 3 (16%), and 11 (58%) traits in the V dataset, respectively. These results suggested that SALs and epistatic effect SALs identified based on an additive genotype can provide considerable predictive power for the parental lines. They also provide insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and valuable information for molecular breeding in rice.

Selected bacteria in sheep stool depending on breed and physiology state

One of the important factors influencing the microbial community of ruminants, besides environment or diet, are breed and physiology. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess these changes in the levels of basic microbial phyla and families. For this study, qPCR analysis was performed to determine the level of bacteria (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria clusters and Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillaceae families) in the feces of ewes of three native Polish sheep breeds (Polish Lowland Sheep (PON), Świniarka Sheep (SW), and synthetic line BCP) at different physiological periods (conception, early pregnancy, lambing, end of lactation). The animals were kept in the same environment and were at the same age (2-years). The results showed a significant effect of both breed (p = 0.038) and physiological period (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) on the levels of bacteria analyzed. The breed showed differences across physiological periods. The influence of the race factor was noted primarily between the BCP synthetic line and the other two breeds (differences in terms of all analyzed clusters and families except Actinobacteria phyla). In the case of SW and PON, however, the observed differences were only at the level of Proteobacteria cluster and Clostridiaceae family. On the other hand, the early pregnant and lambing periods were the most microbiologically diverse in terms of the analyzed clusters and families of bacteria.

Transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal improved performance of Hu sheep on hybridization with Southdown sheep

Consumers are increasingly demanding high-quality mutton. Cross breeding can improve meat quality and is widely used in sheep breeding. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of cross breeding sheep meat quality. In this study, male Southdown and female Hu sheep were hybridized. The slaughter performance and longissimus dorsi quality of the 6-month-old hybrid offspring were measured, and the longissimus dorsi of the hybrid offspring was analyzed by transcriptomics and metabolomics to explore the effect of cross breeding on meat quality. The results showed that the production performance of Southdown × Hu F1 sheep was significantly improved, the carcass fat content was significantly decreased, and the eating quality of Southdown × Hu F1 sheep were better. Compared with the HS group (Hu × Hu), the NH group (Southdown × Hu) had 538 differentially expressed genes and 166 differentially expressed metabolites (P < 0.05), which were significantly enriched in amino acid metabolism and other related pathways. Up-regulated genes METTL21C, PPARGC1A and down-regulated gene WFIKKN2 are related to muscle growth and development. Among them, the METTL21C gene, which is related to muscle development, was highly correlated with carnosine, a metabolite related to meat quality (correlation > 0.6 and P < 0.05). Our results provide further understanding of the molecular mechanism of cross breeding for sheep muscle growth and meat quality optimization.

Inbreeding depression and its effect on sperm quality traits in Pietrain pigs.

In most cases, inbreeding is expected to have unfavourable effects on traits in livestock. The consequences of inbreeding depression could be substantial, primarily in reproductive and sperm quality traits, and thus lead to decreased fertility. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (i) to compute inbreeding coefficients using pedigree (FPED ) and genomic data based on runs of homozygosity (ROH) in the genome (FROH ) of Austrian Pietrain pigs, and (ii) to assess inbreeding depression on four sperm quality traits. In total, 74,734 ejaculate records from 1034 Pietrain boars were used for inbreeding depression analyses. Traits were regressed on inbreeding coefficients using repeatability animal models. Pedigree-based inbreeding coefficients were lower than ROH-based inbreeding values. The correlations between pedigree and ROH-based inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.186 to 0.357. Pedigree-based inbreeding affected only sperm motility while ROH-based inbreeding affected semen volume, number of spermatozoa, and motility. For example, a 1% increase in pedigree inbreeding considering 10 ancestor generations (FPED10 ) was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with a 0.231% decrease in sperm motility. Almost all estimated effects of inbreeding on the traits studied were unfavourable. It is advisable to properly manage the level of inbreeding to avoid high inbreeding depression in the future. Further, analysis of effects of inbreeding depression for other traits, including growth and litter size for the Austrian Pietrain population is strongly advised.

Effect of the racial group and body condition score at calving on production performance and metabolic profile of buffaloes during the transition period.

This study evaluated the body condition score (BCS) at calving and breed (B) effects on milk composition, yield, performance, physiological parameters, hemogram, blood metabolites, and urinary metabolites in the transition and early lactation periods of Mediterranean (MED) and Murrah (MUR) buffaloes. Twenty MED and fifteen MUR buffaloes were distributed into four experimental treatments, in a completely randomized design, considering their racial groups and BCS (LBCS = low; HBCS = high): LBCS MED (N = 9); HBCS MED (N = 11); LBCS MUR (N = 8); HBCS MUR (N = 7). Animals were monitored during the last 21days of gestation and first 56days postpartum and kept under the same management and feeding conditions. During data collection, milk composition, yield, performance, physiological parameters, hemogram, blood metabolites, and urinary metabolites were evaluated. Higher milk production and fat-corrected milk were observed in MED than MUR buffaloes. Breed effects were observed on body weight, rectal temperature, glucose, urea, calcium (Ca) concentrations, and BCS effects on total protein, albumin, urea, and Ca. There were BCS effects on hematocrit, neutrophils, eosinophils, and interactions between B × BCS for lymphocytes and platelets. There were breed effects on urinary concentrations of chlorine, uric acid, and interactions between weight (W) × B on chlorine and urea. The MED buffaloes can be considered the most prepared to undergo physiological changes, including the BCS value at calving, indicating higher physiological health. Besides, this study demonstrates more considerable preparation for the calving, regardless of the body condition score at calving.

Dairy goats' management and performance under smallholder farming systems in Eastern Africa: the systematic review and meta-analysis.

The systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to describe dairy goat management practices among smallholder farmers in Kenya and Tanzania. The study also evaluated the effects of breed and upgrade level (50%, 75% and > 75%) on growth and lactation performances. Google Scholar was used to search for dairy goats' studies followed by an eligibility check. Eligible studies were assessed for risk of bias using RoB 2.0 (Cochrane risk-of-bias in randomised trial) and ROBINS-I (Risk of Bias Assessment in Non-Randomised Studies of Interventions). Smallholder farmers were mainly stall-feeding natural pasture and crop residues to goats with supplementation limited by the high costs of concentrate feeds. Forage cultivation and conservation were limited by the scarcity of land and improved forageplanting materials, lowtechnical know-how andhigh labour demand. Similarly, farmers had limited access to formal market, veterinary and extension services. Prevalence of infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and pre-weaning kid mortality were high. Nevertheless, there were breed effects (p < 0.05) on pre-weaning growth and weaning weight but not lactation parameters. However, Saanen goats had relatively higher lactation length (252days) and yield (637l) than other goat breeds. Daily milk and lactation yields, pre-weaning growth and growth rate (post-weaning) varied significantly among upgrade levels (p < 0.05) and were highest in > 75% level. It was concluded that Saanen goats and > 75% were the best breed and upgrade level for goat milk production in smallholder farms due to high lactation performance. Improving the different managerial aspects of smallholder dairy goat farming is of paramount importance if the dairy goats' performance, farm income, food safety and security are to be improved in Eastern Africa.

Semen quality of progeny-tested breeding bulls maintained at the National Artificial Insemination Centre, Arusha, Tanzania

The success or failure of artificial insemination (AI) depends on the quality of semen used. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of breed, age, collection period, and ejaculate number on semen quality collected from 15 breeding bulls available at the centre with different ages (4 Friesian, 4 Ayrshire, 3 Jersey, 2 Simmental and 2 Boran breeds) maintained at National Artificial Insemination Center (NAIC), Arusha, Tanzania. A total of 600 ejaculates were collected for four weeks per month consecutively from January to May 2022, weekly per bull and twice a day; morning (6.00 - 9.00 AM) and evening (3.00 - 6.00 PM) sessions). The ejaculates were first examined visually for volume, color, foreign bodies, and consistency whereas sperm concentration (SPC), progressive motility (PM) and total motility (TM) were assessed using Computer Assisted Semen Analysis System (CASA). Viability/vitality (SPVI) and morphology (SPNR) of sperms were analyzed microscopically after staining with Eosin-Nigrosin. Data were subjected to SAS program and results showed that ejaculate volume, progressive motility, total motility, sperm viability, and morphology were significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected by age and collection period. Simmental, Friesian, and Ayrshire bulls produced more voluminous semen than Jersey and Boran bulls. Jersey bulls had higher (P&lt;0.05) sperm concentrations and live spermatozoa as compared to other bulls. Boran and Jersey's bulls exhibited higher PM and TM than the other bulls. The period of semen collection (morning versus evening) negatively affected semen volume, total motility, and semen viability in which morning harvests performed better than evening collections. Middle aged bulls (3-5 years) produced semen of higher quality compared to other groups (&lt; 3 years and &gt; 5 years old bulls). In conclusion, age, breed, period of semen production and ejaculate number revealed significant effect on bovine semen characteristics.

Türkiye’de Herdbook Sistemine Kayıtlı Esmer, Simental ve Siyah Alaca Sığır Irkları ile Melezlerine ait Süt Verimi Özellikleri Üzerine bir Araştırma

This study was conducted to examine the milk yield traits of Holstein Friesian (HF), Brown Swiss (BS), and Simmental (SM) breeds, as well as their crossbreeds raised in enterprises registered in the herdbook system in Türkiye. With this study, the performances of cattle breeds and their crossbreeds widely raised in Türkiye were compared in terms of milk yield characteristics based on agricultural regions of Türkiye. The data used in the study included the completed lactation records of 22 331 heads of cattle for the years 2000-2014. The GLM ANOVA method was used in the statistical analysis of the effects of breed, genotype, and region on traits related to milk yield. Across the herd, the mean and standard deviation values were determined as 7551±2771 kg for lactation actual milk yield (AMY), 4.2±1.8 for total lactation number (TLN), and 382.9±9.2 days for lactation period (LP). The effects of genotypes and regions were found to be significant or very significant (p&amp;lt;0.05 or p&amp;lt;0.001) for all three studied traits, region x genotype interaction was found to be very significant for AMY and TLN (p&amp;lt;0.001), and not significant for LP (p=0.184). As a result, it was revealed that the interaction effects of genotype, region, and genotype x region should be taken into account in determining the milk yield traits of cultured breed and crossbreed cows that are widely raised in Türkiye. Accordingly, it was concluded that the interaction findings should be evaluated in determining the breed preferences by the regions.

Inbreeding-Driven Innate Behavioral Changes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila melanogaster has long been used to demonstrate the effect of inbreeding, particularly in relation to reproductive fitness and stress tolerance. In comparison, less attention has been given to exploring the influence of inbreeding on the innate behavior of D. melanogaster. In this study, multiple replicates of six different types of crosses were set in pair conformation of the laboratory-maintained wild-type D. melanogaster. This resulted in progeny with six different levels of inbreeding coefficients. Larvae and adult flies of varied inbreeding coefficients were subjected to different behavioral assays. In addition to the expected inbreeding depression in the-egg to-adult viability, noticeable aberrations were observed in the crawling and phototaxis behaviors of larvae. Negative geotactic behavior as well as positive phototactic behavior of the flies were also found to be adversely affected with increasing levels of inbreeding. Interestingly, positively phototactic inbred flies demonstrated improved learning compared to outbred flies, potentially the consequence of purging. Flies with higher levels of inbreeding exhibited a delay in the manifestation of aggression and courtship. In summary, our findings demonstrate that inbreeding influences the innate behaviors in D. melanogaster, which in turn may affect the overall biological fitness of the flies.