Animal Genetic Resources in the Sultanate of Oman

Osman MahgoubAnimal & Veterinary Sciences

College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences

Animal Resources in Oman: Livestock Statistics

Species Population

Goats 1,619,990

Cattle 313,580

Sheep 380,000

Camels 124,520

Donkeys 28,500

Total 2,466,590

FAOSTAT (2008-9)

Animal Resources in Oman: Cattle

North Oman Cattle Batina coastal planes Interior; Sharqiyah; Dhahira

Characteristics: Brown – dark brown Small size; Short horns Low milk yield; Disease

tolerant Systems of production

Small farms House keeping Zero grazing Dairy animal

Challenges Small herds; Traditional rearing Lack of characterization AI with Jersey

North Oman bull (Rumais)

North Oman cow (Interior)

Animal Resources in Oman: Cattle

South Oman Cattle (Dhofari) Jabal (Hills) Salalah plains

Characteristics: Black color dominant Small to medium size Short horns Low milk yield Disease tolerant Aggressive

Systems of production Range grazing (monsoon) Zero grazing (dry season) Dairy/beef animal Calves marketed in the north

Challenges Lack of characterization AI with Friesian

South Oman bull (Rumais)

South Oman cows grazing khareef range (Dhofar)

Animal Resources in Oman: Goats

Breeds: Batina Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar Dhofari Sharqiyah Desert

Characteristic Distinct breeds

Systems traditional

Economical value Meat High prices

Challenges Exportation Cross breeding

Jabal Akhdar goat

Dhofari goat

Batina goat

South Sharqiyah goat

Most common Omani goat breeds

Animal Resources in Oman: Sheep

North Oman Dominant black Small – medium size Poor on range Better with Improved

management Less important

South Oman Hairy Small numbers

Systems: Mixed flocks with goats Traditional

Challenges Crossing

Animal Resources in Oman: Camels

Distribution: South Oman Sharqiyah Dhahira Batina

Systems Production (Dhofar) Racing (Sharqiyah, Batina, Dhahira) Traditional

Challenges Product quality Marketing Misconcepts (Desertification ?) Governmental policies Cross breeding (Gulf)

Animal Resources in Oman: Chicken

Numbers and distribution Characteristics

Mixed types No distinct breeds or strains Naked neck

Uses (meat, eggs) Systems (traditional) Production

Poor Preferred

Challenges Cross breeding (Fayoumi,

Indian, etc.)

Animal Resources in Oman: Donkeys

Numbers and distribution Unknown Hills (JA, Hijr, Sharqiyah

Feral Characteristics Uses

Animal Production Systems in Oman Traditional:

Nomadic Transhumant Shawawi Village Small farms Hill rearing

Commercial (cattle, poultry)

Animal Production Systems in Oman

Modern: Dairy Poultry Goat ! Beef !

Animal Production Systems in Oman

Livestock marketing in Oman

Traditional: Auction Well-organized system High prices

Transportation Open trucks Welfare Meat quality

Impact on genetic resources Mixed breeds Foreign breeds

Current Situation in ANGR in Oman

Ministry of Agriculture Rumais Station

North Oman cattle Sharqiyah goats

Wadi Qurayat Station Goats (Batina, Dhofari & Jabal

Akhdar) Omani sheep (north)

Salalah Station South Oman cattle Dhofari goat Dhofari sheep ? Native chicken

Research Programs: North Oman; Small Ruminants;

Poultry Breed evaluation

Facilities and human resources Good infrastructure Short of staff - training

Current Situation in ANGR in Oman

Sultan Qaboos University Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) Omani sheep Goats (Batina, Dhofari, Jabal Akhdar) Selection

Meat production Genetic material donation (WQ) Native poultry Improvement (meat and egg)

AVS; CAMS Breed evaluation Mahgoub et al. (1994-2010) Kadim et al. (2000 – Dhofari cattle, Omani sheep; goats

(Batina, JA, Dhofari); Native poultry Well equipped and staffed

laboratories

Diwan Royal Diwan Court Diwan Affairs Royal Camel Corps

Omani camel herd Breeding, competition

Laboratories and Animal Research Center Expertise in genetic material

collection Semen collection Computer assisted semen

evaluation Embryo collection In vitro fertilization Embryo sexing

Current Situation in ANGR in Oman

Ministry of Agriculture ANGR and improvement management program Conservation of indigenous genetic resources for

sustainability SQU HM Genetic Resources Project

Identification of major breeds (cattle, goats, and chicken)

Phenotypic characterization (weight, linear measurements, male vs. female)

Breed characteristics (color, horns, skin cover, ears, etc.) Genetic characterization Conservation

Reproduction BSE Collection Preservation

Royal Diwan Affairs Semen collection, processing and storage In vitro Native camel breeds identification (molecular)

Research in ANGR

Morphological and Phenotypic characteristics SQU/MA

GoatsBody weight and body linear

measurements will be taken from both sexes

ToolCodeParameters

Hanging scale-Body weight (kg)

Measuring tapeL1Body length (cm)

Wooden caliperL2Withers height (cm)

Measuring tapeL3Heart girth (cm)

Wooden caliperL4Rump height (cm)

Measuring tapeL5Sacral pelvic width (cm)

Measuring tapeL6Tail Length (cm)

Measuring tapeL7Ear Length (cm)

Measuring tapeL8Flank girth (cm)

Wooden caliperL9Withers width(cm)

Wooden caliperL10Hip width (cm)

Measuring tapeL11Horn length (cm)

Measuring tapeL12Diagonal body length (cm)

Measuring tapeL13Neck Length (cm )

Measuring tapeL14Loin length(cm )

Measuring tapeL15Head length (cm )

Measuring tapeL16Chine length(cm )

Measuring tapeL 17Length of rump

Males and females Linear measurements

Head Body length, height Dewlap

Color Head Body Special markings

Scrotal circumference

Morphological and Phenotypic CharacteristicsCattle:

Genetic characterization

Genotyping of indigenous breeds Comparison with genetic

background of foreign breeds entered Oman over the past 30 years

Sampling: Blood (300 of each breed) High quality genomic DNA

extracted (standard protocols and kits)

Purification and concentration PCR DNA Analyses

Microsatellite analyses Statistical analyses Allele frequency;

Heterozygosity; phylogenetic tree, etc.

Fragment analysis for primers

Type of breed SexNo. of sample SizeMarkerSample File Name

Dye/Sample Peak

Jebal Akdar Female804181180.76frag_002_A08.fsaG,32

Jebal AkdarFemale405179178.84Universal Gfrag_003_B07.fsaG,33

Jebal AkdarFemale203181180.5frag_004_B08.fsaG,30

Jebal AkdarFemale803179178.62Universal Gfrag_005_C07.fsaG,36

Jebal AkdarFemale703179179.32Universal Gfrag_006_C08.fsaG,32

Jebal AkdarFemale502180179.96frag_007_D07.fsaG,32

Jebal AkdarFemale403178177.65Universal Gfrag_008_D08.fsaG,35

Jebal AkdarMale805180180.1Universal Gfrag_009_E07.fsaG,32

Jebal AkdarFemale801178177.87Universal Gfrag_010_E08.fsaG,33

Jebal AkdarFemale702179178.61Universal Gfrag_011_F07.fsaG,31

Jebal AkdarFemale605178178.05Universal Gfrag_012_F08.fsaG,28

Jebal AkdarMale402178177.75Universal Gfrag_013_G07.fsaG,31

Jebal AkdarFemale807179179.36frag_014_G08.fsaG,31

Jebal AkdarMale404178178.33Universal Gfrag_015_H07.fsaG,30

Jebal AkdarMale604179178.69Universal Gfrag_016_H08.fsaG,29

Conservation of native breeds

Breeding Soundness Examination (BSE) Objective

Establish BSE criteria for native Omani breeding sires

Hypothesis Native Omani breeding males would

have the same BSE findings as established for Zebu/Zebu-cross in arid region

Methodology Physical examination Semen collection:

artificial vagina electrical ejaculator

Artificial vagina

Electro ejaculator

Semen visual evaluation

Breeding Soundness Examination (BSE)

Semen Evaluation Sperm mass activity Sperm motility Sperm concentration Sperm morphology Etc. Manual and automated Semen evaluation

Semen evaluation Computer assisted semen evaluation

Semen processing(dilution, extension, storage)

Semen preservation

Semen preservation (straws)

Collaboration

• SQU • College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences• College of Medicine (Dept. of Biochemistry)

• Ministry of Agriculture– Plant & Animal Research DG– Animal Wealth DG

• Royal Diwan Affairs• Laboratories and Animal Research Center

• Albano Beji Pereira• University of Porto, Portugal

– Genetic characterization of cattle with a set of microsatellites”

• Mushtaq Memon– Washington State University– Clinical reproduction

Threats to Indigenous Genetic Resources

• Introduction of exotic animal breeds for:– Slaughter – Production– Bull fighting– AI

• Najdi and Chios sheep• Somali, Indian, Yemeni, etc. sheep and goats • AI:

– A large-scale program using Holstein and Jersey semen

– infusion of exotic genes in local animal herds

• AI History:– AI Unit in Rumais (1990), Salalah

(1993); Nizwa (1994); Ibri (2001); Sohar (2002)

• No follow-up for F1• No performance testing

Omani cattle (Jersey influence)

Omani sheep (Najdi)

Bull fighting (Batina)

What to do?

breed characterization Phenotypic Genetic

National breeding programs: Identification Breeding Societies

National policies Live animal importation and exportation

Artificial Insemination Government policy

Full utilization of local resources Animal & Plant Genetic Resources Center Pooling resources Coordination and collaboration

Conservation In situ (animal stations and labs at SQU, MA, RDC, RDA) Increase herds and flocks Human resources Budget