Markos Tibbo

Molecular characterization of Ethiopian indigenous goat populations

Six Ethiopian indigenous goat populations viz. Gumuz, Agew, Begia-Medir, Bati, Abergelle, and Central Abergelle were genotyped for 15 microsatellite markers recommended by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and International Society for Animal Genetics. A total of 158 individual goats were tested to assess genetic variations within and between the goat populations in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The markers revealed 100% polymorphism across six goat populations indicating the presence of genetic diversity, which is an important variable to measure genetic variability within and between populations. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.56 (Central Abergelle) to 0.68 (Bati) and 0.59 (Abergelle) to 0.69 (Agew goat), respectively. The lowest genetic distance was observed between Begia-Medir and Central Abergelle (0.039), and the largest distances between Agew and Abergelle (0.140) and Gumuz and Abergelle (0.169). Neighbor-joining and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean methods with bootstrap value of 1,000 was used which grouped the six goat populations into two major groups viz. the Abergelle goat cluster as one group and the Agew, Gumuz, Bati, Begia-Medir, and Central Abergelle goats as the second group. In our study, the obtained higher total variation within the goat populations (95%) confirms a close relatedness of the studied goat ecotypes, which might have happened due to the existence of uncontrolled animal breeding strategies resulting from uncontrolled movement of animals through various market routes and agricultural extension systems. The study contributed to the genetic characterization of Ethiopian indigenous goat populations and demonstrated the usefulness of the 15 microsatellite makers for biodiversity studies in goats.

Assessing genetic diversity of Hamdani sheep breed in Kurdistan region of Iraq using microsatellite markers

The genetic variation in Hamdani sheep in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was studied using 35 microsatellite markers. All 35 markers were found to be highly polymorphic. The mean number of observed alleles ranged from four at BMS1494 to twenty five at BM6444 and INRABERN185 loci. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.208 for BMS1494 loci to 0.935 for INRABERN185 with an average value of 0.744. The overall observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.407 and 0.764, respectively. Test of genotype frequencies for deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at each locus, revealed a significant departure from HWE due to loss in heterozygotes by high level of inbreeding. The average inbreeding value for the 35 markers investigated was 0.469. The high observed heterozygosity is an indication of genetic variability that could be used for developing efficient utilization and genetic improvement strategies for Hamdani sheep. Key words: Hamdani sheep, microsatellites, polymorphism, genetic diversity, inbreeding, heterozygosity.

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Options for the Livestock Sector in the Near East and North Africa

An assessment of the impacts of climate change and climate variability on livestock sector in Near East and North Africa (NENA) was undertaken to document impacts, past evidences, hotspots of climate change, projections and vulnerability of the sector, and measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change. This was done through an in depth analysis of literature, utilization of GIS tools and experiences in the region. NENA region is one of the driest regions in the world and is vulnerable to extreme climatic events such as droughts, sea level rise, floods, and storms of dust, sand and snow. Conservative predictions show that by 2050 the temperature will increase by 1–4 °C (avg. 2.4 °C) and precipitation will reduce by 8–29 % except in isolated areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Dry season will increase by 2 months in some countries and substantially reducing the length of time that the rangelands can support grazing animals. In the region the livestock sector shares 30–60 % of the agricultural output and contributes to food security and nutrition, poverty alleviation, employment and economic development, monetary saving, social security, living insurance and manure. Demand for livestock products is increasing due to the increasing population, urbanization and income growth. Nearly all countries of the region are net importers of animal and animal products. Smallholders will continue to depend on livestock for their livelihoods in the region. In 2006, FAO estimated that the livestock production systems, from feed imports to marketed animal products, generate directly and indirectly 18 % of global GHG emissions. However, the livestock systems have also great potential to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation and mitigation measures for the region’s livestock sector are discussed. This paper advocates all concerned parties to take concrete actions to tackle the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security.