A new direction is to identify tropical breeds and to initiate selection within them. Yet this has proved to be disappointing. Current efforts are towards introducing productive temperate-type livestock into the tropics primarily by cross breeding, which seems to be succeeding although at
very slow rate.
This effort is not without its warning on the consequences of losing the purity of genetic resources of tropical livestock. Thus improvement of tropical livestock lies in greater knowledge of their characteristic traits and those of temperate stock as well.
It also involves being better able to control and improve the tropical environment. The priority will however vary from an area to another. For example, in areas where epizootic diseases are still prevalent, disease control will be a priority. Elsewhere in which considerable control of disease has been achieved, nutrition and management need to be accorded priority. It is important to note that it is needless to improve genetic merit if environmental factor remains unimproved. Also, any improvement in genetic merit implies a major step up in both feeding and other management aspects of production.
It is important to appreciate the theory that indigenous livestock breeds adapted to the tropics have achieved some level of adaptation by a natural selection against productivity. Studies (Payne and Hancock, 1957) have shown that high rates of milk production and rapid growth rate increase effects of climatic stress by increasing the metabolic heat output of the animal. In this situation, a number of breeding policy options is available.
• Husbandry may select for productivity in indigenous stock.
• Upgrade indigenous stock by the introduction of exotic males orby importation of the semen.
• Introduce a crisscrossing breeding system using exotic andindigenous males.
• Introduce exotic stock and attempt to select for adaptation.
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• Ameliorate the climatic stress in the tropic to such an extent thatexotic stock of high merit can be used (the economic viability of this option is untenable).
The choice of one or a combination of these options varies from country to country and from region to region within countries. It also depends on a number of factors such as:
• Type of indigenous livestock available
• Agricultural system prevailing in the area
• Managerial ability of the local farmers
• Type and size of the market for livestock products
Some form of the common crossbreeding using indigenous (White Fulani) and exotic (Friesian) breed at 50:50 or 25:75 is being carried out at the National Animal Production Research Institute, Shika -Zaria. An earlier report (Knudsen and Schael, 1970) has shown that lactation yields of White Fulani (840 kg) and Friesian 92,550 kg) improved after crossbreeding in the first generation offspring, Friesian/White Fulani (1, 688 kg).
A complementary option to this is to intensify pure breeding of the White Fulani and other indigenous breeds to preserve their genetic
resources for the future.
This implies that a good safeguard for the existence of purebred indigenous cattle is by encouraging the selection of the most productive indigenous stock in special bull breeding herds. It seems there is no effort in this direction at present. However, it is of little use to upgrade indigenous cattle or any livestock species if the managerial abilities of the local farmers are not upgraded simultaneously.
