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Ruminants
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Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds
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Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds

A special issue of Ruminants (ISSN 2673-933X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 19350

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo

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Guest Editor
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Interests: animal breeding; animal genetics; animal biotechnology; quantitative genetics; inbreeding; genetic diversity; meat science & technology; genomic selection; genome-wide association study; dairy science; cattle; pig
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María Esperanza Camacho Vallejo

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Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: conservation of AnGR; agroecology; animal production
Dr. Emiliano Lasagna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: animal breeding and genetics; molecular markers; cattle; chickens; local breeds; myostatin; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. María Norma Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife 55171-900, Brazil
Interests: animal breeding and conservation; breed characterization; ethnozootechny

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last century, animal genetic biodiversity has become compromised. Ruminants have not escaped this situation caused by the general intensification of production systems, changes in the use of the land, erroneous policies on rural development and transculturation, among other reasons.

Fortunately, science and technology have acted to avoid the continuous loss of the biodiversity of farm animals. Presently, many research teams and consortia are working very hard to develop new knowledge, new methods, and techniques to be applied in the conservation and use of local animal genetic resources for the sustainable economic development of rural areas. Many important publications on genetic characterization and phylogeny, use of reproductive biotechnologies in germplasm conservation, definition and valuation of traditional products, social and ecological impacts of local breeds, breeding strategies, use of local breeds in the adaptation and mitigation of climatic change, among other subjects, have been intensely treated.

In this Special Issue of the Ruminant journal, we want to offer a platform to disseminate the latest advances in the conservation and valuation of local breeds of cattle, small ruminants, buffalo, camelids, and wild ruminants with agri-food interest. In this context, research papers on all the above-mentioned contents will be welcomed, together with invited international reviews from the most important specialists in the world on this matter.

Prof. Dr. Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo
Dr. María Esperanza Camacho Vallejo
Dr. Emiliano Lasagna
Prof. Dr. María Norma Ribeiro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Ruminants is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ruminant genetic resources
  • local breeds
  • conservation
  • valuation
  • genetic characterization
  • in situ/ex situ conservation
  • socio/environmental impact
  • traditional products

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2100 KiB  
Article
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Moroccan Beni Ahsen: Is This Endangered Ovine Breed One of the Ancestors of Merino?
by Asmae Kandoussi, Ismaïl Boujenane, Mohammed Piro and Daniel Pierre Petit
Ruminants 2022, 2(2), 201-211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants2020013 - 7 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2965
Abstract
(1) Background. Merino is a worldwide sheep breed well known for the quality and quantity of its wool. If there is no doubt that it originates from the Mediterranean Basin and that human selection took place in southern Spain, the populations that potentially [...] Read more.
(1) Background. Merino is a worldwide sheep breed well known for the quality and quantity of its wool. If there is no doubt that it originates from the Mediterranean Basin and that human selection took place in southern Spain, the populations that potentially contributed to the building of this breed are a matter of debate. Here, we tested whether a Moroccan breed settled on the North Atlantic coast, the Beni Ahsen, could be a good candidate, given the thickness and distribution of fleece covering the head and legs. (2). Methods. Using the control region of the mtDNA, 20 Beni Ahsen sequences were considered in a dataset of 643, including Mediterranean Merino and non-Merino breeds. Unfortunately, the Beni Ahsen is an endangered breed because of a lack of interest from the breeders. (3) Results. European Merino-derived breeds are divided into an Iberian and an Italian cluster, more linked to non-Merino breeds of the same country than between Merino themselves. Beni Ahsen breed is strongly linked to the other Moroccan breeds but shows the greatest number of connections with Merino-derived breeds, especially from Iberia. Interestingly, several other Moroccan breeds are also connected to Iberian Merino. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds)
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Review

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15 pages, 334 KiB  
Review
Applications of Microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms for the Genetic Characterization of Cattle and Small Ruminants: An Overview
by Oscar Cortes, Javier Cañon and Luis Telo Gama
Ruminants 2022, 2(4), 456-470; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants2040032 - 7 Nov 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3207
Abstract
The status of genetic diversity, adaptation to climate change or the identification of genes associated with traits of interest in livestock populations has been a major concern for scientists in the last decades. Biotechnology has evolved continuously, offering new tools and methodologies to [...] Read more.
The status of genetic diversity, adaptation to climate change or the identification of genes associated with traits of interest in livestock populations has been a major concern for scientists in the last decades. Biotechnology has evolved continuously, offering new tools and methodologies to analyse the genomes of livestock species. Biochemical markers or protein polymorphisms were the tools used for population studies many years ago, but over the last three decades the methodologies available to analyse livestock genomes have changed notably. The development of DNA molecular markers, especially microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, opened new possibilities for a better understanding of livestock genomes, unthinkable until recently. However, Whole-Genome Sequencing technologies or genome editing techniques are changing the way to analyse or interact with the genomes, even before full advantage can be taken of all the possibilities open by the last group of molecular markers. The aim of this review is to summarize the opportunities available through livestock genome analysis in cattle and small ruminant populations, namely through the molecular markers most widely used over the last few years, including microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds)
11 pages, 765 KiB  
Review
Current Knowledge on the Lagune Cattle Breed in Benin: A State of the Art Review
by Maurice Cossi Ahozonlin, Armand Bienvenu Gbangboche and Luc Hippolyte Dossa
Ruminants 2022, 2(2), 271-281; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants2020018 - 13 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3130
Abstract
This paper summarizes the information on the Lagune cattle breed and its production systems in Benin available in peer-reviewed journals, conference papers and research reports covering the period from 1970 to 2020. Lagune cattle are kept in two production systems in Benin: the [...] Read more.
This paper summarizes the information on the Lagune cattle breed and its production systems in Benin available in peer-reviewed journals, conference papers and research reports covering the period from 1970 to 2020. Lagune cattle are kept in two production systems in Benin: the improved ranching system established at the Governmental farm of Samiondji, where most of the published studies on this breed have been achieved, and the village traditional production system. This breed has a small size with short horns. Reported adult weight varied from 140 to 180 kg for male and from 100 to 140 kg for female. Lagune cows are bad dairy. The breed plays an important role in the livelihoods of the rural people and has many functions, including cultural, ecological, socio-economic, savings and income provision roles. Most of the reports emphasizes its low productivity, which might rather be more related to its poor management conditions than to its genetic potential. The Lagune breed is reported to have adaptive traits such as tolerance to drought and heat, and resistance to ticks and diseases. In 1975, the Government of Benin, having realized the risk of the disappearance of this breed, devoted the Samiondji Farm to its ex situ conservation and set up a purebred multiplication herd. Since then, there have been very few efforts to comprehensively characterize this breed and its productivity under smallholder production systems. Consequently, the opportunities for its in situ conservation, management and sustainable use by the rural communities are not sufficiently explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds)
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16 pages, 3267 KiB  
Review
Conservation and Selection of Genes Related to Environmental Adaptation in Native Small Ruminant Breeds: A Review
by Eymen Demir, Simone Ceccobelli, Umit Bilginer, Marina Pasquini, George Attard and Taki Karsli
Ruminants 2022, 2(2), 255-270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants2020017 - 8 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3641
Abstract
Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, physiology, and genetic structure of small ruminants. The widespread dispersal of small ruminants over vast geographical areas occurred along with human migration, thereby promoting the adaptative process to different environmental conditions mainly through [...] Read more.
Environmental stressors have, over generations, influenced the morphology, anatomy, behaviour, physiology, and genetic structure of small ruminants. The widespread dispersal of small ruminants over vast geographical areas occurred along with human migration, thereby promoting the adaptative process to different environmental conditions mainly through natural selection. Ongoing global warming prompted scientific efforts to deepen the knowledge and understanding of adaptation traits in small ruminants. Compared to other ruminants, sheep and goats seem to have a better adaptation ability to environmental stressors, as evident by their presence across different geographic areas on a global level. Adaptation to a specific environment leads to variations in precise genomic regions, allowing for the identification and selection of animals with a high capacity of adaptation to environmental stressors. Rapid development in sequencing technologies, together with bioinformatics tools, make it possible to analyse the genomic regions related to environmental adaptation. Hence, the aims of this review were (i) to outline the main steps of the evolution process in sheep and goat species, (ii) to summarise candidate genes related to environmental adaptation, and (iii) to evaluate both selection and conservation possibilities of these genes in native small ruminant breeds for future challenges to better face the global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds)
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Other

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15 pages, 3835 KiB  
Case Report
The Maraichine Cattle Breed Supports Breeders and Researchers in the Atlantic Coastal Marshlands
by Bénédicte Roche, Anne Farruggia, Marc Pousin, Paul Riga, Claude Chataigner, Vincent Boutifard, Michel Prieur, Pierre Roux, Andrew S. Cooke and M. Jordana Rivero
Ruminants 2022, 2(2), 173-187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants2020011 - 1 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4948
Abstract
The Maraichine breed of cattle originates from the Loire region of France and has been under a conservation programme since 1986. This programme links the conservation of the breed with the conservation of its traditional environment of wet grasslands. In this case report, [...] Read more.
The Maraichine breed of cattle originates from the Loire region of France and has been under a conservation programme since 1986. This programme links the conservation of the breed with the conservation of its traditional environment of wet grasslands. In this case report, we describe the different steps of this programme, each of which had its own successes and challenges. We also describe how, throughout this process, researchers have been involved in the generation and dissemination of information covering areas such as stakeholder perspectives, animal performance, and socio-economics. Under the conservation programme, the Maraichine population has expanded in both size and scale. Simultaneously, stakeholder perspectives have also developed, continually shifting the balance between the productivity, conservation, and maintenance of heritage traits. The conservation programme also provided the opportunity to utilise the breed’s desirable traits, such as easy calving and disease resistance. Whilst the carcasses are not necessarily as valuable as those of other breeds, farmers have implemented novel economic practices to capitalise on market opportunities. Today, Maraichine cattle and Maraichine breeders offer researchers the opportunity to deepen and enrich our knowledge on sustainable ruminant livestock farming systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Valuation of the Ruminant Local Breeds)
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