Editor: Mike Nowosad
Publisher: Jim Dalrymple
Volume 1-5
Fall
2003
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Editor: Mike Nowosad |
Volume 1-5 |
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| Fall
2003 |
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This Issue of the Gene Scene will reflect significant progress in our goal to establish a Canadian Centre for Livestock and Poultry Germplasm Conservation. As Chair my thanks goes to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as well as to our Members and Directors who have assisted the Foundation in this Mission. In particular I would to extend our thanks to our Past Chair.
The tireless efforts of former Foundation Chair, Donald McQueen Shaver were largely responsible for these recent developments. His work with the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada were invaluable in drawing attention to this major gap in Canada’s Livestock and Poultry programs. He has also made a unique contribution to poultry germplasm conservation, with the maintenance of a number of unique breeding lines, which are currently being transferred to the AAFC station at Agassiz, BC.
Kudos to you Don!
Roger Buckland
Chair
Foundation Begins To See Results Of Its Efforts!
Four Foundation Directors participated in a Multi-Stakeholder Committee meeting in Ottawa at the end of July. The meeting was called by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to begin the process of establishing a Canadian Centre for Livestock and Poultry Germplasm Conservation.
Foundation Chair Roger Buckland Co-Chaired the meeting with Steve Morgan Jones, AAFC's Program Leader for Innovation and Renewal. The Multi-Stakeholder Committee consists of:
The purpose of the meeting was to agree to the contents of a draft Business Plan to be submitted to AAFC Management later this year. If all goes well, plans to establish the Centre should be in place in 2004.
The Centre will be responsible for all aspects of livestock and poultry conservation in Canada. These will include developing a data collection system (most likely based on adaptation of an existing system) and creating an up-to-date inventory of current stocks, both commercial and rare.
The Centre will conduct research as well as being responsible for maintenance of genetic material by cryopreservation.
There is to be strong emphasis on collaborative/cooperative efforts involving AAFC, Universities and the private sector. The Committee expressed a preference for locating the personnel at an existing centre, rather than establishing a new entity.
Initially, it is expected that a team of three scientists will form the "hub" of the Centre. Locations currently under consideration for the hub are in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Quebec. It is hoped that the scientific team will eventually number eight or nine people, including a liaison person who will work with breed associations and farmers, providing hands-on advice to those who own the rare or exotic livestock or poultry.
The complete team is expected to be a combination of AAFC employees, and University professionals, some of who may be primarily funded by industry.
Disciplines involved will include:
Priority will be given to the development of the data system and inventory. Only when this is complete will the staff of the Centre be able to determine priorities in terms of preservation and/or emergency rescue efforts.
While conservation of germplasm is the first priority, it is recognized that all of the technology for efficient cryopreservation is not yet available. For example, freezing of avian sperm is possible, although recovery rates are not always good. But freezing of embryos is not possible, because of the attachment of the blastodisc to the yolk, which when frozen and thawed, looses its structure. Similarly, in some of the other species, freezing of embryos is unsatisfactory, and requires further research.
This Canadian initiative follows those in several other countries,
notably the United States. It is anticipated that there will be synergies between
the Canadian and US programs. The US program has a Cryopreservation unit at
Fort Collins CO, and a number of research personnel there and elsewhere. Once
the Canadian centre is operational, it will facilitate compliance with FAO’s
policies and assist preparation of Canada’s inventory to be included in
a World Inventory of Animal Genetic Resources.
The global strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources under the Food And Agriculture Organization provides a technical and operational framework for assisting countries, comprising:
· an intergovernmental mechanism for direct government involvement and
policy development.
· a country-based global infrastructure to help countries cost-effectively
plan, implement and maintain national strategies for the management of animal
genetic resources.
· a technical program aimed at supporting effective action at the country
level in the sustainable intensification, conservation, characterization and
access to Animal Genetic Resources.
· a reporting and evaluation system to guide the Strategy’s implementation,
facilitate collaboration, coordination and policy development and maximize cost-effectiveness
of activity.
Canada’s input is provided under the leadership of Dr. Roy Crawford as Chairman and Dr. S.K. Ho as Technical Secretary. Dr Crawford is located at the University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Ho with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa. A committee is developing Canada’s input to FAO.
Over 180 countries are to provide input to this initiative that will assess each countries animal and poultry populations, their origin, population numbers, risk status, performance criteria, and morphology. Information can progress to date can be accessed through the CFAGRF website “links”.
Is there a reason for the preservation of minor breeds of livestock? Couldn’t more improvement be made if there were fewer breeds? Lets look at the Holstein breed. While the Holstein clearly has an advantage over other breeds in the production of whole milk, this advantage is based on feeding high levels of cereal grains and pricing that favors low milk-solids content. A drastic change in either of these factors could result in a decrease in the advantage of the Holstein.
Given these conditions perhaps a breed that is currently endangered or rare, such as the Dutch Belted, which displayed excellent milking ability in a grass-based situation in trials in the early 1900’s would find itself on the forefront. In Australia, composite breeds such as the Australian Friesian Sahiwal, have been developed which have higher milk production levels than Holsteins in the tropical regions of that country. Another example might be an increased need for natural resistance to diseases or parasites should a current antibiotic or other treatment become unavailable or ineffective. An example of this type might be the natural resistance some breeds of sheep have to internal parasites.
Should anthelmintics become restricted or uneconomical then a breed such as the critically endangered Gulf Coast Native, with the parasite resistance it has developed through natural selection, could be of critical importance in the sheep industry. In many cases, genetic diversity should be maintained to help meet the potential challenge resulting from changes in production resources and market requirements.
(From Breeds of Livestock – Department of Animal Science-Oklahoma State
University http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/
POULTRY AND DAIRY-VALUE OF ALTERNATIVE STRAINS
Dr. Odd Vangen, University of Norway
As international poultry breeding is centralized to a few breeding companies, the uniformity in breeding goals and breeding strategies is a threat to domestic animal diversity. Additionally, all breeding programs are based on production potentials under cage conditions. In periods when cage production was forbidden in Denmark, a high producing floor adapted hybrid, the Skalborg Hybrid was developed. As soon as the Danish ban on cage systems was lifted (1979), the interest for this line was gone and the line disappeared. Today, there is a growing interest for floor laying types due to possible future ban on cage production. If the excellent floor laying Skalborg hen had been maintained, this production environment could have maintained an advantage. After many generations of selection under cage conditions, the animals are probably less fit for floor production.
It will be more important for future domestic animal diversity to include a variety of possible production environments in the breeding strategies and that a larger number of companies with different breeding strategies are in business.
There are two main activities on the world scene of animal
breeding today: the internationalization of breeding work and the concern about
loosing genetic variation within and between breeds of farm animals. Breeds
become extinct because of new technology, industrialization of food production
and uncritical crossbreeding.
In dairy cattle breeding, there is much less genetic material present in alternative
breeds; therefore this species is under higher pressure than poultry.
The Nordic Gene Bank Program states that “Nordic livestock is part of our cultural heritage and a vital basis for future agriculture and the options of coming generations”.
“We must safeguard the genetic material of our domestic animals in order to:
CANADIAN FARM ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES FOUNDATION MEETINGS
Directors Meeting
Monday, September 29th 2003 @ 9:30 am
K.W. Neatby Building, Central Experimental Farm
Salon C
Ottawa, Ontario
Annual Meeting
Monday, September 29th, 2003 @ 1:30pm
K.W. Neatby Building, Central Experimental Farm
Salon C
Ottawa, Ontario
Agenda
Jim Dalrymple, Livestock Technology Services, Brighton
Modern agriculture has applied the science of genetics and breeding to produce efficient, high-producing farm animals. In the process, the world is losing many breeds and strains of animals and poultry. Much of the genetic variability of farm animals is the result of several distinct breeds developed within each species; now many of these are in danger of becoming extinct worldwide. If we have the best, why be concerned about preserving genetic diversity?
1.Canada needs to conserve potentially useful genes and gene combinations.
2.Genetic conservation allows the industry to take advantage of hybrid vigor
(heterosis).
3.Reduction of selection plateaus.
4.Provision of an insurance policy.
5. Cultural Reasons
6. Research
The Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources Foundation and Rare Breeds Canada
are both involved in conserving Canada’s animal and poultry genetic resources.
For more info please go to http://www.dad.fao.org.;
www.cfagrf.com ; www.trentu.ca/rarebreedscanada.
(adapted from Better Farming)
RESOURCE INFORMATIONThe Foundation has a wide range of “Information Sources” available in both English and French for individuals and organizations. Preserving Farm Animal Genetic Diversity in Today’s High-Tech World (04/02) The Need For An Animal Genetic Policy In Canada (01/03) Preserving Farm Animal Genetic Diversity in Today’s High-Tech World (01/03) Conservation of Animal Genetic Resources (02/03) The above sources of information can be obtained by contacting the Foundation at P.O. Box 3027, Brighton, Ontario K0K 1H0. |