Master thesis offers

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1 UNIVERSITÄT HOHENHEIM F A C U LT Y O F AGRICULT U R A L SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS AND SUBTROPICS SECTION ANIMAL BREEDING AND HUSBANDRY Professor Dr. Anne Valle Zárate Master thesis offers The Department of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, Section Animal Breeding and Husbandry (480a), currently offers the following thesis projects, each allocated to a broader topic as indicated in the blue barns: Conceptual development of community-based breeding programs and research on the requirements for their implementation under marginal conditions Impact evaluation for a community-based pig breeding and marketing program in Son La, Vietnam (survey) Based on 10 years of research within the The Uplands Program, a research and development project was carried out by the institute 480a, UHOH, and the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Hanoi, Vietnam. The project aimed at the transfer of a community-based breeding program for local pig breeds into sustainable practice in Son La province, Vietnam. For this, a collective participatory approach was developed to overcome the major issues in relation to breeding, husbandry and marketing that ethnic small-scale pig producers in the rural areas of the highlands are confronted with. The funding of the project was terminated in December 2014 and now requires a critical evaluation of its implementation performance, investigating whether and what kinds of benefits for the smallholders have been realized. Factors for success and failure will provide critical information for the design of future development projects in the region. In order to achieve this, a comparative analysis on the awareness and practices in pig breeding, husbandry and marketing of Black Thai farmers in project villages with farmers who have never participated in any pig production program will be conducted. The student will carry out a survey in Son La province in collaboration with NIAS and will be cosupervised by Dr. Le Thi Thanh Huyen. Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, Dr. Le Thi Thanh Huyen, Philipp Muth

2 Impact evaluation of a breeding project to increase sheep prolificacy in the Negev of Israel (survey) Sheep production in the Middle East has originally been based on the Local Awassi breed, a fat-tailed sheep with relatively low reproductive and productive performance but good adaptation to the dry and hot environment. Breeding of high performance Awassi lines has been successfully advanced in Israel. In the course of a sheep breeding project ( Improving lamb meat and milk production for fat-tail sheep in the Middle East through breeding ) that has been conducted from 2001 to 2011, the highly prolific Afec-Awassi line proved suitable for improved semi-intensive production conditions of progressive Bedouin sheep farmers and had been continuously spread among Bedouin farmers spontaneously, after the end of the project. However, no joint breeding initiatives could be initiated within the Bedouin community. This study aims at evaluating the technical and socio-economic impact of the aforementioned project in the Negev of Israel by conducting a survey with sheep keepers and conducting interviews with stakeholders that were involved in the project. Selection indices in beef cattle breeding for low input production systems (literature research and survey) Breeding aims for beef cattle to be used in extensive systems differ considerably compared to beef cattle breeding for high input production systems. Breeders in different parts of the world have increasingly realized this and are developing methods to include traits of adaptation, of disease resistance and of behavior into selection indices. Prior to this, the standardization of measurements, their repeatability and their genetic foundation and relation to production traits as well as options for recording are being determined. Compiling research results on the development of such traits and their consideration in breeding will help to develop appropriate breeding indices for breeding in local populations in temperate and tropical environments. The student will conduct a comprehensive and systematic literature research complemented by expert interviews. Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, PD Dr. Pera Herold, Philipp Muth 2

3 Optimization of the contribution of livestock to human societies within a production system context Suitability of different livestock species and breeds for different types of social farming (literature review and case studies in Europe) Several studies indicated that for an effective interaction between animals and humans, it is important to consider both, the different physical characteristics and behavioral attitudes of livestock species and breeds, as well as the specific use for a target group of clients or a specific disorder. These studies aim to evaluate the suitability of different livestock species and breeds for different types of social farming. Apart from a literature review, the experiences of different stakeholders such as farmers, clients and experts should be explored through interviews. Different studies will focus on different species and applications for rehabilitation of different client groups. How can food security and income diversity of smallholder farmers in the Philippines be improved by organic pig and poultry production? (survey) In this collaboration project with the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, the role of pig and poultry farming in coconut-based and upland/hilly-land based farming systems in the Philippines should be characterized in an ecological and socioeconomic context. The emphasis of the complex integrated crop-livestock farming systems in the uplands of Southeast Asia usually lays in cash or staple crop production, but the production risks from cropping could be counteracted by a further diversification of farming activities. For instance the sustainable intensification of traditional pig and poultry production harbors some potential to improve incomes of farmers. However, to evaluate this potential a careful in-depth analysis of production systems is necessary. Therefore, the characteristics of pig and poultry husbandry including genetic resources, pig and poultry performances and management and its contribution to household livelihoods of the coconut-based and upland/hilly-land based farming systems should be investigated. Ultimately this pilot study aims at the identification types of farmers, who would most likely benefit from investment into organic pig and poultry production in the Philippines. Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, Prof. Dr. Orville L. Bondoc, Philipp Muth 3

4 How do requirements on product traceability, meat safety and product quality prevent smallholder meat producers from entering remunerative markets? (comprehensive desk work) Connecting livestock producers to growing markets can have a positive impact on their incomes, but to date it is precarious whether they can comply with the standards set by increasingly formalized food value chains. Value chains target the domestic commodity markets, but also export options or niche markets for specific products may exist. In this literature-based study, food supply chains for meat commodities in developing countries of a specific region should be mapped and put into their macroeconomic environment using scientific literature, project reports and open source data bases in a first step. Then the required meat safety and product quality criteria should be pointed out for each value chain and critically analyzed in an attempt to answer the question whether small-scale farmers can enter lucrative value chains in view of the imposed requirements on safety, quality and traceability. A regional scope should be chosen, the region can be selected by the student him/herself. The student will conduct a comprehensive and systematic literature research and compile a review corresponding to scientific standards. Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, Philipp Muth 4

5 Characterization of local genetic livestock resources with respect to specific traits and evaluation of conservation-by-use concepts in conventional and organic farming Topics on dual-purpose chicken production in organic farming in Germany The negative genetic relationship between reproduction (egg production) and the growth performance in chickens led to a differentiation of layer (egg-type) or broiler (meat-type) lines. However, due to very low growth rates male layers cannot be profitably utilized in fattening schemes and are therefore mostly killed at hatch. For animal welfare reasons this procedure is no longer acceptable, particularly with respect to the idea of organic production. The objectives of organic farming include the production in mostly closed nutrient cycles, high standards of animal welfare and the use of adapted animals and breeds. Generally, this could be achieved through the use of dual-purpose chicken breeds, yet often the productivity of such breeds in both egg production and fattening is hardly competitive. Genetic analysis of the Bresse Gauloise chicken and its perspective as a dualpupose breed (desk work) For the previous reasons the Hofgut Rengoldshausen, an organic farm close to Lake Constance, utilizes an advanced dual-purpose breed, the Bresse Gauloise, which exhibits appropriate levels of egg and meat production. The aim of this MSc topic is to estimate the genetic parameters for the major productive traits of the Bresse Gauloise breeding population on Hofgut Rengoldshausen (heritability, genetic correlations) and the assessment of the breeding success that can be realized in the middle- and long-term. The student should be interested in the use of software for statistics and breeding value estimation. In this project, the student will learn to conduct the required estimations by SAS, VCE and PEST (ASReml). Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, Philipp Muth Production systems, breeding and marketing strategies and consumers of dualpurpose chicken production (survey) Based on a survey, the different dual-purpose chicken production systems, breeding and marketing strategies will be analyzed and the respective consumers buying eggs and meat from dual-purpose chicken will be characterized. 5

6 Consumer attitude towards dual-purpose chicken in Germany (survey) This study will evaluate the perception of consumers and their willingness to pay for meat and eggs from dual-purpose chickens produced under different husbandry (e.g. conventional free range, barn, organic) and marketing systems (farm sale, local market, regional) as well as factors (age of consumer, education level, urban vs rural citizen, organic vs conventional buyer, etc.) influencing their decision. Before the survey, the interviewees will be informed about the topic and the different production alternatives. Scenarios on the profitability of dual-purpose chicken production (survey) This study aims to analyze the profitability of dual-purpose chicken production with different chicken genotypes and in different husbandry and marketing systems. The actual cost and benefits will be taken as basis for scenario development (varying cost of chicks, cost of feed, time of slaughtering, weight gain, market price, etc.). Can meat quality of Bresse Gauloise chicken justify price premiums for the product on retail level? (lab and desk work) Breeding and rearing dual-purpose Bresse Gauloise chicken (i.e. for egg and meat production) in alternative systems such as organic and/or free-range adheres to high process standards, but also involves relatively high production costs. These can be partly compensated by price premium on its products. In this project the quality of Bresse Gauloises carcasses and meat as available on the retail level should be evaluated under two aspects: a) the variation in carcass traits (weight, breast fillet yield) and meat quality (physico-chemical characteristics) between different suppliers of Bresse Gauloise products and b) variation in carcass and meat quality between Bresse Gauloise compared to products from other alternative breeds and the conventional sector. This study can mainly be implemented in our lab and should contribute to benchmarking of specialty poultry products from alternative systems and traditional breeds. The student will be involved in planning the experimental design and participate in the lab work and conduct the analysis of meat quality. Prior knowledge in lab work is welcomed, but not compulsory. Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate, Philipp Muth 6

7 Old livestock breeds between conservation and commercial use (literature review and case studies in Germany) Intensification of agriculture including livestock production is accompanied by the concentration on specialized, highly productive breeds and the neglect and even loss of less productive breeds. There are only few examples where old livestock breeds were not even saved from extinction but increased population size significantly though active promotion and marketing (e.g. Schwäbisch Hällische Schwein). Further promising livestock breeds still available in Germany might undergo a similar development. Several studies have highlighted the importance and suitability of endangered livestock breeds for different purposes. Some breeds are valued by consumers for their special product quality characteristics while other breeds are particularly suitable for the organic sector due to their robustness, low requirements and multiple uses. Public and private breeding organizations aiming at the prevention of loss of genetic resources do conservation breeding of a small breeding group. On Arche-farms, where farmers receive subsidies from the government, old livestock breeds are kept mainly for conservation purposes, only eventually focusing on commercial use. Some of the endangered breeds have also been introduced to commercial farms, mostly from the organic sector. This study aims to evaluate the current use of old livestock breeds with respect to conservation and commercial use in Europe and analyses breeding and marketing of endangered livestock breeds in Germany. You are welcome to approach us for discussing your own ideas! Hohenheim, Prof. Dr. Anne Valle Zárate Dr. Christoph Reiber Philipp Muth 7