CHAPTER 8
CONSERVATION OF ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES IN INDIA

by

P.N.Bhat

Division of Animal Genetics
Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Izatnagar-243 122,UP.
INDIA

Summary

Barring a few attempts at evaluation mainly connected with animal improvement programmes there is very little real awareness of the resources we possess, or appreciation of the dangers they face. New breeds/strains are being identified every day. Identificat­ion and documentation/evaluation are needed "before decisions can he taken about what to conserve.

In India the need for conservation of animal genetic resources has now become clear, and the lack of necessary documentation and evaluation has been recognized. A National Bureau of Animal Genetics Resources and a similar one for fish have been sanctioned. Their functions are detailed in the paper.

Besides the National Bureau, National Research Centres are being established to invest­igate rare, economically important species of various regions such as mi thun and pigs. A major effort is also under way to identify genotypes suitable for low-input agriculture.

The Bureau will basically be a centre for information regarding the genetic resources in the country and will act as a link between ICAR Institutes, Agricultural Universities, Government or Private Agencies, national and international organizations which are con­cerned with livestock. It will also support such agencies to maintain rare species and breeds of animals which are in danger of extinction. Wherever information is not available or existing performance data are scanty, the Bureau will help in setting up herds and flooks for the purpose of evaluating the breeds and strains.

8.1 Introduction

The history of domestication and conservation of livestock in the Indian subcontinent is more than 5OOO years old. The Mohanjodaro and Harappa excavations prove that cattle were not only used for agricultural purposes 50CO years ago, but were also considered an important economic asset. Selection of high producing animals for breeding purpose was recognized and commonly used during the Mahalharata period (3500 BC). The epic has a chapter on managment of cattle with instructions for selection of stud bulls.

Before the advent of fossil fuel, animal energy was the only source of farm power. This came mainly from bullocks, which had to be specifically developed for this purpose. It was necessary for the cattle breeders in the continent to develop good work animals. India, thus, possesses the best draft breeds of cattle in the world today.

It has been estimated that a bullock is capable of generating on average, half to three quarters of a horse povrer of energy. The bullock population alone generates 36 million H.P., equal to approximately 27,138 M.W. of electric power. The total installed capacity of electric energy in India today is around 26, 000 M.VJ. and the investment made to gener-erate and make available this electric energy is around Rs. 260,000 million.

It has been estimated that two thirds of the energy input into our farms comes from animals, a renewable source of energy; of the rest, 15 per cent comes from human exertion, and only 10 per cent is derived from other forms of energy like fossil fuels (petroleum and coal) and hydroelectric power. In spite of these vast natural resources of food, power, fertilizer and clothing the situation during the past 5 centuries has been rather a dismal one. The management of most of our resources has been poor. Although 32,500 mill­ion dollars (U.S.) have been spent to generate 26,000 M.W. of electric power, not even 1/1OOO of this has been spent on development of bullock power let alone the other products.

Barring a few attempts at evaluation mainly connected with animal improvement programmes there has been very little real awareness of the resources we possess, or appreciation of the dangers they face. The wealth which has been gifted to us by our ancestors and nature needs to be carefully managed. In our legitimate concern for assuring animal products for today we should. not forget to conserve and manage resources for the benefit of generations yet to be born.

All the three reasons stated by Mason (1974) for conservation of Animal Genetic Resources exist in India.

1. Agricultural: Reduction in genetic variation through past and current improvement schemes which have removed flexibility for future improvement. In particular progressive removal of local hardy breeds, which may eventually mean loss of breeds and species suit­able for low-input agriculture.

2. Scientific: Animals adapted to specific conditions are needed for study of agricultural production, besides the basic nature of the adaptations and their possible use later.

3. Cultural: Diversity being part of our natural heritage, its preservation is part of our culture.

New breeds and strains are being identified every day, such as Siri cattle in Sikkim, Kashmire Black in Kashmir Valley, Annapurna cattle in Kerala, Dom pigs (Pigmy hog) of the North East region. Some of these thrive on forest grazing and have special qualities. Identification, and documentation and evaluation are needed before decisions can be taken about what to conserve.

There are three main sources of information on animal genetic resources in India:

(a) Government departments concerned with development of livestock;
(b) forest departments who operate wild life programmes;
(c) universities and research institutes.

The process of evaluation and documentation is done either by the development department or by universities or research organizations like ICAR, CSIR, conservation has so far received very little support for bulk of resources, except for such rare wild life species which are in danger of immediate extinction such as tiger, crocodile etc.

8.2 The present position

According to the 1972 census (Table 8.1) India possessed 178 million cattle, 57 million buffaloes, 0.018 million yaks, 40 million sheep, 67 million goats, 7 million pigs, 1.1 million camels, O.94 million horses and ponies, 0,99 million donkeys, O.O75 million mules and 137 million chickens. This huge livestock population consists of well defined breeds or strains which are supposed to possess special genetic qualities, which are at a premium in tropical environment and under subsistence agriculture.

These large resources produce annually about 26 million tons of milk, 0.7 million tons of meat, 0.4 million tons of wool and fibre, 70 million hides or skins, 0.4 million tons of bones, energy equivalent of about 32,039 M.W. of power, 10,300 million eggs from domestic fowls and 410 million eggs from ducks and other poultry.

TABLE 8.1

Genetic resources of economic livestock in India (1972 census)

These enormous resources could easily be doubled or tripled if the livestock species which produce them were in a genetically good condition even as they were a few centuries ago.

8.3 Steps taken in India

In India the need for conservation of animal genetic resources has now "become clear, and the lack of necessary documentation and evaluation has been recognized. A National Bureau of Animal Genetics Resources and one for fish have been sanctioned, which will have the following functions:

1. To undertake systematic cataloguing of animal germ-plasm and to establish a data bank and information service on animal genetic resources.
2. Identification, evaluation, cataloguing and conservation of herds or flocks identified as valuable for purposes of conservation consisting of important indigenous breeds of livestock and poultry in the country.
3. To undertake survey for the evaluation of merits or attributes of breeds discovered recently or threatened with extinction.
4. Formulation of criteria and parameters to enable identification of animals and flocks of superior genetic merit or worthiness for conservation. To take steps for the preservation of germ-plasm both as live animals or by setting up frozen semen and embryo banks.
5. Documentation of pertinent information in regard to identity of herds and flocks on a computer readable format.
6. Processing of information collected under surveys carried out for the identification of valuable animal resources material.
7. Dissemination of information in a cogent manner to enable individuals and agencies to use information in regard to the available animal genetic resources,
8. Maintenance of national/international liaison with institutions concerned with similar work.
9. Rendering financial assistance to universities, IGAR institutes and government and private bodies, where maintenance of such valuable germ-plasm is considered desirable.
10. Monitoring of the entire improvement programme and maintenance of rare breeds/herds/ flocks in the country.
11. Monitoring of new introduction of animal germ-plasm and new synthetics.
12. To stimulate programmes for improvement in the various breeds and to give adequate financial and technical support to these.

It is now recognized that existing performance data are scanty, and past evaluations have been done using inadequate experimental design, no evaluation in the natural environ­ment is available except for cattle (Bhat, 1978).

Besides the National Bureau, national research centres are being established to invest­igate, rare, economically important species of various regions, such as mithun (Bos frontalis) and yak (Bos poephagus grunniens Linn.), camel and pigs.

The Bureau will basically be a centre for information regarding the genetic resources in the country and will act as a link between ICAR institutes, agricultural universities, government or private agencies, and international organizations which are concerned with livestock raising. It will also support such agencies to maintain rare species of animals (livestock and poultry) which are in danger of extinction. Wherever information is not available or existing performance data are scanty, the Bureau will help in setting up herds/ flocks for the purpose of evaluating the breeds and strains.

The Bureau will initially consist of four divisions:

1. Identification and evaluation division.
2. Information processing and retrieval division.
3. Documentation division.
4. Coordinating and administrative division.

1. The identification and evaluation division will primarily concentrate on development of methods of identification, including the products produced and the environment in which they are produced. It will also be responsible for collecting information after generating well designed experiments for continuously updating information on already existing breeds/strains and for evaluating new breeds.
2. The information processing division will be concerned with cataloguing, evaluating and processing the information and storing it in a high speed computer system fit for instant retrieval.
3. The documentation division will be responsible for publication of information processed in a form easily understood by the users,
4. The coordinating and adminstrative division, besides being responsible for normal administration of Bureau, will also be responsible for funding the various efforts at evaluation, documentation and conservation in the country.

For proper evaluation and conservation of genetic resources the local populations for all breeds of livestock will be maintained in nucleus herds under government or private ownership in both natural and intended environment. Funding will be by the government using money allocated to livestock improvement programmes.

The government of India and various state governments have established herds/flocks of important indigenous breeds. This programme is being intensified for the Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparker and Rathi breeds which are in danger of extinction. A programme for effective conservation and utilization has to be taken up on an area basis.

Most Zebu breeds are endowed with highly desirable characters like adaptability to harsh conditions and resistance to certain diseases, ecto- and endoparasites, an objective assess­ment of their performance with special emphasis on these aspects is therefore necessary. Efforts are being made to design experiments so that these traits can be quantified.

In view of rapidly increasing costs of conventional energy inputs, the need to give attention to bullock power as a main source of agricultural power has become most urgent. We have some of the best draft breeds in the world e.g. Nagori, Kangayam, Khilari, Amritmahal etc. Experiments need to be designed to obtain adequate information on draft ability of various indigenous breeds and to develop the most efficient genotypes needed for agricultural power. Crossbreeding with improved temperate breeds has had inroads on these breeds. The need for crossbreeding in their breeding tracts needs to be evaluated and stopped if the erosion is large, so that the local breed may not be lost. The danger faced by various livestock species in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is not of immediate extinction but of progressive degeneration or genetic dilution. For the past more than half a century these animals after parturition are sold to urban centres of milk supply. from where they end up in slaughter houses at the end of lactation. With generalized cross­breeding now, even the breeding tracts which were formerly only losing high yielding geno­types, are now faced with a distinct danger of total extinction due to Jersey and Friesian crossing. Some of the finest milk breeds are facing constant erosion either as a result of crossbreeding or as a result of general lack of attention over the years and absence of practical breeding programmes for genetic improvement of the indigenous breeds. These are not in as good a genetic condition as they were a few centuries ago. The mass advent of artificial insemination without a proper progeny testing programme to identify superior bulls and of indiscriminate importation of non-adapted but high producing breeding stock for crossbreeding, has made it impossible to locate genetically superior animals of Sahiwal, Red Sindhi and Tharparker breeds in India. Pure specimens of Rathi breed are fast becoming difficult to find; similarly high producing Kankrej and Gir animals are becoming rarer and rarer. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a very large programme of intrapopulation selection, within each of the recognized indigenous breeds for milk, draft power and meat. It is necessary that in this effort PAO should involve itself to develop an international breed comparison project involving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Kenya and those north African countries where disease resistant cattle are at a premium. I suggest that this conference make a clear recommendation to the national governments to this effect. It should also emphasize that crossbreeding with non-adapted but high producing stock should be introduced with caution and should not be considered as a general solution to all problems of animal improvement. This impression has gained ground and can become highly counter-productive. Many artificial insemination programmes have done more disservice to animal improvement programmes by dissemination of inferior germ-plasm over large areas.

A major effort should be taken up for identification and evaluation of such breeds of livestock which can be raised under adverse and low input conditions. The concept is slowly gaining ground that some of the livestock breeds should be identified and specially selected for low input agriculture since there are large areas in the Indian subcontinent where it may not be possible for high input genotypes to produoe efficiently. The argument put forward by Bhat (1978) that genotypes which can sustain and produce on low agricultural inputs should be given consideration in research programmes in tropical production systems is slowly gaining ground.

In buffaloes the danger for the Murrah breed is not of extinction but of degeneration. The high-producing genotypes in their first lactation are sold and moved to urban centres for milk production. After the end of lactation these are sold to slaughter houses. Thus superior genotypes are lost to the breeding population. It has been estimated that between 1921 and 1979 the loss in average lactational yield of good producers due to this and other factors has been of the order of 1000 kg. A plan for stopping this drain has been evolved, such that each animal leaves behind at least one female progeny before it leaves the breeding population.

New genetic resources which have been synthesized by crossing superior temperate live­stock with the indigenous type have been generated for many species especially cattle, sheep and goats. These need to be properly monitored in the intended environment. for want of proper breeding objective and a plan to obtain it, these are indiscriminately crossed and valuable germ-plasm is likely to be lost. A unified plan of progeny testing of crossbred bulls and selection of bulls and cows has been developed for the state of Kerala (Bhat et al., 1980) involving 0.7 million crossbred cows; similar programmes are being considered for other areas.

Among cattle, the good milk breeds like Sahiwal, and Red Sindhi and dual-purpose breeds like Tharparker and Rathi are in acute danger of being lost in their pure form from India. It is, therefore, necessary that these rare breeds should be conserved in their natural habitats in numbers which can be effectively utilized for conservation and possible likely improvement of the stock, for this purpose a proposal to establish a few nucleus farms for these breeds is under consideration by the Government of India which in collaboration with NBAGR as the focal point will integrate the male germ-plasm and develop a unified breeding plan involving all the herds of this breed for a cooperative breeding effort. So far seven nucleus farms have been identified for this purpose for Sahiwal, four for Tharparker and eight for Red Sindhi.

8.4 Conclusions and recommendations

1. Zebu breeds are endowed with highly desirable characters like adaptability to harsh conditions and resistance to diseases. A more reliable and objective assess­ment of performance of indigenous breeds with special emphasis on diseases resist­ance and adaptability to harsh environments is essential,

2. In view of the rapidly increasing costs of conventional energy inputs, it is highly desirable to generate adequate information on draft ability of indigenous cattle and buffaloes which is very insufficient at present.

3. Precise and reliable estimates of different genetic components of variability of important economic traits of indigenous breeds of livestock should be obtained. This would be needed for evolving appropriate breeding plans for their improvement.

4. An atlas of performance of indigenous breeds and the appropriate breeding plans based on the information thus collected be drawn up. Such information would allow the best utilization of genetic resources in cattle and buffaloes and other specie    s.

5. Properly designed selection experiments should be carried out for important indigenous breeds which are not involved in genetic improvement experiments through crossbreeding.

6. Since sizeable populations of different crossbreds are available around a number of milk shed areas, such populations should be utilized for performance recording and progeny testing of crossbred sires, in order to take full advantage of crossbreeding, progeny tested half bred bulls should be used for the development of new breeds/strains adapted to the given environment.

7. The present evaluation of different breeds and breed crosses is being done only under intensive management system. Such evaluation should be done under intensive, medium and low input (as close to the existing practices in the farmers fields as possible) so that the most efficient genotypes for each of these management levels could be identified.

8. A number of native breeds, strains or varieties are, or may be, in danger of genetic dilution through indiscriminate crossbreeding with exotic breeds. Such native breeds should be identified, so that they can be evaluated before this process leads to their essential loss.

9. Some native breeds are in danger of losing genes for high production because high-performing animals are withdrawn from breeding populations for use in units of high production and/or subsequent slaughter (e.g. city milk production in India or slaughter animals closen because of large size). Such breeds should be identified and breeding units kept intact.

8.5 References

Bhat, P.N. (1978). Problems, prospects and approaches to collection, evaluation and conservation of animal genetic resources. Proceedings of symposium on plant and animal genetic resources, I.A.R.I., New Delhi, pp. 1-16.

Mason, I.L. (1974). The conservation of animal genetic resources, Introduction, Round Table 2. 1st World Congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Madrid, Spain.

Pathak, N.N. (1980). Personal communications.

Rendel, J. 91978). Personal Communication, reestablishment of Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources.

Conservation des ressources génétiques animales en Inde
Résumé

Le problème de la conservation et de l'utilisation des ressources génétiques animales en Inde est examiné dans cette communication ainsi que les stratégies adoptées. Mises à part quelques tentatives d'évaluation se rattachant surtout à des programmes d'amélioration animale, noua n'avons qu'une très pale idée des ressources que noua possédons ou des dangers qui les menaoent.

De nouvelles races/ souches sont identifiées chaque jour, comme les bovins "Siri" au Sikkim, les "Kashmir Black" dans la vallée du Cachemire, les bovins "Annapurna" dans le Kérala et les porcs "Dom" dans la région du nord-est. Certaines de ces races s'accommodent fort bien du pâturage en forêt et possèdent des qualités particulières. Il faut entre­prendre un effort d'identification, de documentation et d'évaluation avanv. de pouvoir décider de celles qu'il faut conserver.

Il y a trois grandes sources d'information sur les ressources génétiques animalest (a) les services officiels de l'élevage, (b) les services forestiers qui appliquent des programmee de protection de la faune, (c) les universités et les inatituts de recherche. Juaqu'à présent, la conservation n'a guère retenu l'attention, sauf lorsqu'il s'agissait de quelques rares espèces sauvages en voie d'extinotion, comme le tigre,le crocodile, etc.

Mesures prises en Inde

En Inde, la nécessité de conserver les ressources génétique» animales est clairement ressentie aujourdhui, et l'on reconnaît que la documentation et les travaux d'évaluation nécessaires font défaut. Un bureau national des ressources génétiques animales et un organisme analogue pour les poissons ont été oréés, avec les attributions suivantest

1. Déterminer la valeur des diverses races de bétail et d'autres animaux.
2. Lancer des programmes d'amélioration des diverses races et leur fournir l'appui financier et technique nécessaire.
3. Prendre des mesures pour préserver le patrimoine génétique, tant chez les animaux vivants qu'en créant des banques de sperme et d'embryons congelée.
4. Entreprendre des enquêtes pour évaluer les qualités ou les caractéristiques des races découvertes récemment ou menacées d'extinction.
5. Répertorier systématiquement le patrimoine génétique animal et créer une banque de données et un service d'information sur les ressources génétiques animales.
6. Identifier, évaluer, répertorier et conserver les troupeaux des races importantes de bétail et de volaille indigènes qui sont jugées intéressantes aux fins de la conservation.
7. Etablir des critères et des paramètres pour permettre d'identifier les animaux qui ont une valeur génétique supérieure ou qui méritent d'ètre conservés.
8. Constituer, sous une forme liaible en machine, une documentation pour identifier lea troupeaux.
9. Tralter les informations raouailliaa daxs les enquttes exlcutles pour identifier lea raaaouroaa aaimalaa intareaaantea.
10. Diffuaar daa iaformatioaa pour permettre aux partiouliara at aux organiames intéresséa d'utiliaer la documentation diaponibla but lea raaaouroaa génétiquea animales.
11. Assurer la liaison nationale/internatlonale aveo lea institutions qui travaillent dana ce domaine.
12. Fourair une aide finanoière sux univeraités, sux inatituta IGAR at aux organiames offioiela et privéa oú il eat jugé aouhaitable de oonaerver oe matériel génétique.
13. Surveiller 1'ensemble du programme de constitution de troupeaux dea races intéreasantea.

En plus du Bureau national, dea centres de recherche nationaux aont en voie da création pour étudier lea eapècea rarea et éconoraiqueraent importantes da diveraea régions, oomme le "mithun" (Bos frontalis), le yak (Bos poephagus grunniens Linn) et le cochon. Un gros effort eat auaai fait pour identifier dea génotypes adaptés à une agriculture dans laqueile lea apporta de moyens de production aont faiblea.

Le Bureau sera avant tout un centre d'information sur lea reaaourcea génétiquea dana la paya et aervira de lien entre lea institute ICAR, les universitea agricoles, lea organiamea offioiela ou privés et lea institutions nationalea ou internationalea qui a'occupent d'elevage. Il leur fournira auasi une aide pour la oonaervation d'espéoea rarea d'animaux, de bétail ou d'oiaeaux, qui aont menaoéea d¹extinction. Qtiand lea informations font défaut ou quand lea donneea exiatantes aur lea aptitudea et le rendement dea racea oonsidare'ee aont inauffiaantea, le Bureau aidera à conatituer dea troupeaux pour dlterminer la valeur de cea races.

Conservación de los recursos genéticos animales en la India
Reaumen

En eate trabajo se examinan loa problemaa de la oonaervación y explotación de los recursos aoogenlticoa en la India, y las eatrategias adoptadaa. Salvo unoa pocoa intentos de evaluacion, relacionadoa principalmente con loa programaa de mejoramiento animal,ae aabe realmente rauy pooo de loa recursos que poaeemoa y de loa peligroa que corren.

Gada dia ae identifioan nuevaa razas y variedadea, como loa vacunoa Siri en SikkLm, la oveja negra de Cachemira en el valle de Cachemira, loa bovinos de Annapurna an Kerala o loa cerdos enanos da la regi6n del nordeste. Algunoa de ellos ae deaarrollan perfeota-mente en loa pastos forestalea y tienen oualidadea eapecialea. Antes de que puedan tomarse deciaionea aobre lo que hay que oonservar, hace falta una labor de identificacion, evalua-cion y documentaoifin.

Laa fuentea principales de información sobre loa reoursos genéticos animales son treat (a) loa departamentos gubernativoa que ae ooupan del mejoramiento del ganado; (b) loa departamentos foreatalea que llevan a cabo los programaa de proteccidn de la fauna salvaje; (c) las Univeraidadea y centros de investigacion. Salvo para raraa eapeciea de la fauna aalvaje en peligro de extinci6n, como loa tigres,los cocodrilos, etc., se nan concedido muy pocoa fondos para su conaervación.

Medidas tomadas en la India

Eh la India ya se reconoce actualmente la necesidad de conservar los recursos zoo-gentticos, ast como la falta de dooumentación y de la labor de evaluacion necesarias. Se ha creado un Servicio Nacional de Recursos Zoogeneticos, y otro anilogo para la pesca, que tendran las siguientes funciones:

1. Evaluar las diversas razas de ganado y otros animales,
2. Estimular loa programas de mejoramiento de las diveraas razas y conceder el apoyo tecnico y económico necesarios.
3. Tomar medidas para la conservacióe del plasma germinal de los animales vivos y del semen congelado, y para la creacion de bancos de embriones.
4. Hacer estudios para determinar los meritoa o cualidades de las razas reoientemente descubiertas o amenazadas de extincion.
5. Catalogar sistemáticaraente los germoplasmas animales y crear un banco de datos y un servicio de informacion sobre reoursos gene'ticos animales.
6. Identificar, evaluar, catalogar y oonservar el ganado mayor o manor reconocido de valor para fines de conservacian, constituido por razas indfgenas importantes de ganado vacuno y aviar del pais.
7. Formular oriterios y paránetros que permitan identificar los animales y ganados con cualidades genéticas superiores o raerecedoras de conservacion.
8. Recoger las informaciones relativas a la identificacifin del ganado mayor y menor en irapresos legibles y de formato de computadoras.
9. Elaborar los datos recogidos en los estudios realizados para la identifi-cacion del material genetico de valor.
10. Divulgar intensamente las informaciones, de manera que los organ!smos y personas puedan apllcarlasa los recursos zoogenéticos existentes.
11. Nantener vfnoulos naoionales e internaoionales con instituciones que se se dediquen a trabajos analogos.
12. Prastar ayuda eoonomioa a las ttaiversidades, Ihstitutos ICAB. y organismos estatalei y privados ouando se oonsidare oonvaniante el oantanimiento de garmoplasmas de valor.
13. Vigilar todo el programs relativo al ganado mayor y manor del pais.

Adamas del ssrvioio naoional, se nan oraado oantros da investigation para estudiar las espeoies raras y da importanoia eoonomioa existantes an diveraas regiones, tales como el mithun (Bos frontalis), el yak (Bos poephagus grunniens Linn), y los cerdos. Se está haoiando taabién un gran esfuarzo para identificar genotipos idonaoa para la agrieultura qua raquiare pooos medios de produocion.

El Sarvicic serfa fundaaentalaante un oantro da inforaaoion sobre los reoursos genitiocs animals del pais, y sarvirla da anlaoe antra los Ihstitutos IGAB, las Univarsidades Agrioolas y los organismos estatales o privados da las organizaoiones naoionales a inter­naoionales que se interesan por la ganaderia. Apoyarla taabien a los organismos qua se dalioan al mantanimianto da espeoies raras da p£jaros, animales o ganado an peligro de sxtinoion El Sarvioio ayudara' tambien al estableoimiento del ganado mayor y manor, a fin da evaluar las rasas y variadadas ouando no se disponga da informaoiones o se tangan asoasos datos.