Search Results (9)

This study was based on data obtained from a total of 9518 cows belonging to seven cattle breeds: local breeds—Polish White-Backed (249), Polish Red (269), Polish Black-and-White (255), and Polish Red-and-White (290)—and international breeds—Polish Holstein-Friesian (5917), Jersey (940), and Simmental (1598). The breeds were characterised in terms of the following parameters: length of life, length of productive life, milking life, longevity index, percentage share of yield in the first 305-day lactation and first complete lactation in the lifetime yield, and functional longevity. Reasons for culling and the relationship between the length of life/productive life and milk performance parameters were determined as well. The analysis of the length of life and length of productive life in seven different cattle breeds kept in Poland unequivocally demonstrates that local breeds clearly stand out in this regard in comparison to international breeds. They may in the future constitute a valuable gene reservoir for improving longevity in other breeds. The length of life of Polish White-Backed and Polish Red cows was 2817 days and 3607 days, respectively, while that of Polish Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows was only 2131 and 1956 days, respectively, and the most common cause of culling of cows in Poland (39.07%), irrespective of breed, was reproductive problems. The favourable results of parameters related to the longevity of the local breeds of Polish Red and White-Backed show that they can become a tool for improving the longevity of international breeds. Full article

Longevity is a trait influenced by numerous factors, including environmental factors, animal health, and productivity, which translate into economic considerations. In addition to many others, genetic factors are also very important. One of the genes indirectly associated with longevity parameters is the growth hormone receptor gene (GHR). Therefore, an attempt was made to link polymorphism in the 5’UTR region of the GHR gene with longevity and productivity parameters, as well as the content of individual components of milk dry matter. The study was conducted among 100 individuals of the Polish White-Backed breed, covered by genetic resources conservation. The PCR-RFLP method was used. The 836 pz product was digested with the restriction enzyme AluI, and three genotypes were identified: AA, AB, and BB, with frequencies of 0.60, 0.32, and 0.08, respectively. The results obtained were compared with the utility parameters of the animals, and the following indicators were estimated: herd life, productive life, and milking life. The conducted research shows that GHR AluI polymorphism is associated with indicators of longevity, the number of milking days, milk yield, and the content of individual components of milk dry matter. Full article

In view of the threat to local breeds resulting from intensive animal production, many studies are conducted in search of arguments confirming their importance in food production. In the case of milk production, not only is its quantity important, but its quality is as well, including its chemical composition. Particular focus has recently been placed on the casein proteins beta-casein (CSN2) and kappa-casein (CSN3), due to their potential impact on human health or on the suitability of milk for cheese production. The present study analysed the polymorphism of these proteins in 1777 cows belonging to two local cattle breeds, Polish Red and Polish White-Backed, using Illumina Infinium XT SNP technology on a EuroGenomics MD chip. The results indicate that the Polish White-Backed breed is predisposed to produce ‘A2 milk’, as the frequency of the CSN2 A2 allele in the population was 61.2%. The Polish Red breed was characterised by a higher frequency of the CNS3 B allele (35%), which according to extensive scientific literature is associated with better coagulation properties, and increased whey expulsion. The highest yield of milk and its constituents, confirmed at p ≤ 0.01, was obtained for Polish White-Backed cows with the A2A2 genotype in CSN2 and cows with the AA genotype in CSN3. In the Polish Red breed, no statistically significant differences were obtained between means for milk production traits. Full article

Protected areas are crucial for the conservation of West Africa’s increasingly imperiled wildlife, but are under unprecedented pressure associated with exponential human population growth in the region. Using birds as biodiversity indicators, we investigated the conservation status of Togo’s Fazao-Malfakassa National Park, which was managed by a private foundation from 1990 to 2015, and since 2015 has been managed by the state. Between 2022 and 2024, we conducted 90 days of bird surveys in the park and documented a total of 240 bird species. Our findings include 34 species new to the park, including the first record of Emin’s Shrike (Lanius gubernator) in Togo, the first sightings of the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata) since 1990, and first observations of the Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) since 2019. Many such species survive in Togo only in Fazao-Malfakassa National Park, but its exceptional biodiversity has come under increasing assault from illegal activities, including poaching, logging, road construction, charcoal production, cattle grazing, and land clearance to establish agricultural plantations. We were unable to document 91 bird species previously reported for the park during our surveys, suggesting a possible ~31% decline in avian species richness in the park compared to historical records. Apparent extirpations of globally-threatened raptors such as the Critically Endangered White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) and Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), and declines of the Endangered Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) and Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) further indicate that current conservation strategies are failing to adequately protect wildlife in the park. Togo’s two other historical national parks have already been almost entirely destroyed by human activities, and unless urgent conservation action is taken, there is a high risk that Fazao-Malfakassa National Park will share the same fate. We urgently recommend improving support for law enforcement capacity and park staff, conducting community conservation outreach, and ongoing monitoring of wildlife in the park to assess its conservation success. Full article

Local breeds are the main reservoir of biodiversity of farm animals. According to FAO, they account for 87% of all described breeds in the world. To ensure that they are adequately protected, they should be continually monitored for genetic variation. Another crucial factor is reproduction, which is the most important guarantee of population growth. In the present study, genetic variation in 372 Polish White-Backed cows was determined using DNA microsatellite sequences, taking into account their parentage. Reproductive parameters were analysed as well, based on data from 3658 lactations of 1128 Polish White-Backed cows. The results indicate that despite the small initial population and the implementation of a moderate selection of animals, the existing population of Polish White-Backed cattle has a high level of genetic variation, reflected in the degree of heterozygosity (0.761). Regarding reproductive traits, despite their late age at first calving, Polish White-Backed cows were shown to be distinguished by very good fertility parameters in comparison to other breeds raised in Poland. These findings not only confirm the value of protecting local cattle breeds around the world but may also be of importance in developing selection indices for highly productive breeds, in which reproductive functioning should be one of the most important factors considered. Full article

Fibrinogen is used in the diagnosis of inflammation as an acute phase protein. The research objective set by the authors of this study was to assess the applicability of fibrinogen concentration measurement in the blood plasma of the peak of lactating dairy cows through the evaluation of the reference values by using the functional PT-derived (Prothrombin Time-derived) method. Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 259 HF (Holstein-Friesian) and white-backed cows. The animals were clinically healthy. Fibrinogen concentration was determined by automated PT-derived method. Fibrinogen concentrations were calculated as the mean of duplicate samples. Samples with differences between duplicate results greater than 5% were rejected. Results: In the group of HF cows, the average fibrinogen concentration was 11.75 ± 4.80 g/L. In white-backed cows, it was 9.53 ± 4.79 g/L. At total of 76.01% of the results of the fibrinogen concentration in HF cows and 82.05% of the results obtained in the group of white-backed cows were within the ±1 SD (Standard Deviation) range. Conclusions: Based on our own research, the PT-derived method may be applied in order to determine the concentration of fibrinogen in cattle herds in animal health monitoring studies. An individual laboratory should focus more on verifying reference intervals established elsewhere. Full article

Wetland ecosystems are highly productive and valued for numerous reasons including wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water quantity and quality, and human uses. Grazing livestock on wet grasslands can sometimes be controversial due the humidity of the habitat, but on the other hand, it plays an important role in grassland preservation. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of Polish white-backed cattle grazing on changes in the vegetation (13 phytosociological relevés taken in years 2016–2019) of wet meadows as well as forage quality based on the species composition. Biodiversity was estimated based on species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and evenness indices, and Rényi diversity profiles. The peatland featured mostly high-sedge and wet meadows communities of the Magnocaricion and the Calthion alliances. The species and biodiversity indices demonstrated significant rising trends. Extensive grazing resulted in the decreased cover of the dominant species of rush meadows, e.g., the common reed, acute, and tufted sedge. The gaps that had emerged thanks to the reduced cover of the dominant species were filled by meadow plants, which led to increased biodiversity. During the four years of grazing, the cattle obtained satisfactory weight gains, particularly in 2019, which indicates that wet meadows are suitable for grazing and can provide sufficient feed for cattle. Full article

There are many genes responsible for the appearance of different coat colours, among which the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) plays an important role. The aim of the study was to characterize genetic variation in Central European cattle breeds based on polymorphism of the MC1R gene and factors determining their coat colour. The study was conducted on 290 individuals of the following breeds: Polish White-Backed (PW), Lithuanian White-Backed (LW), Polish Red (PR), Lithuanian Red (LR), Carpathian Brown (CB), Ukrainian Grey (UG), and Slovak Pinzgau (SP). Polymorphism at the MC1R gene locus was analysed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using two restriction enzymes: Cfr10I and SsiI. The proportions of alleles and genotypes in the MC1R locus indicates a strong relationship between polymorphism and the coat colour of cattle: The E^D allele proved to be characteristic for the breeds with a white-backed coat (PW and LW), while the dominant allele in the red breeds (PR and LR) was E⁺. It is noteworthy that coat colour in the SP population was determined only by the recessive e allele, which resulted in the formation of a separate clade in the phylogenetic tree. Full article

Elevating soil organic matter (SOM) levels through changes in grassland management may contribute to lower greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. SOM dynamics of grassland soils may be affected by grazing systems and plant species composition. We analyzed the effects of simulated grazing systems (continuous (CG), rotational (RG), and lenient strip grazing (LG)) and species composition (monocultures of perennial ryegrass fertilized (LP+) and unfertilized (LP−)), tall fescue (fertilized, FA+), and a mixture of these two species with white clover (fertilized, LFT+)) on root biomass and SOM dynamics in field experiments on loamy and sandy soils in the Netherlands. Dried cattle manure was added to all fertilized treatments. We hypothesized that SOM accumulation would be highest under CG and LG, and FA+ and LFT+ as a consequence of greater belowground biomass production. SOM was monitored after conversion from arable land for a period of two years (loamy and sandy soil) and five years (sandy soil). We found that management practices to increase SOM storage were strongly influenced by sampling depth and length of the grassland period. SOM increased significantly in nearly all fertilized treatments in the 0–60 cm layer. No differences between species compositions were found. However, when only the 30–60 cm soil layer was considered, significantly higher SOM increases were found under FA+, which is consistent with its greater root biomass than the other species. SOM increases tended to be higher under LG than RG. The results of this study suggest that it seems possible to comply with the 4-thousandth initiative during a period of five years with fertilized perennial ryegrass or tall fescue in monoculture after conversion from arable land. It remains to be investigated to which extent this sequestration of carbon can be maintained after converting grassland back to arable land. Full article