Smallholders’ perceptions of policies for preserving the traditional Ongole cattle breed of Indonesia

Agricultural policies can only be effective if intended beneficiaries are sufficiently aware of them. This basic condition for policy success is substantially challenged by smallholder farmers’ lack of awareness of existing support schemes. We studied the perceptions of 600 farmers of preservation policies for the traditional Indonesian Ongole cattle breed. We measured farmers’ knowledge of existing policies, their perceived ease of participation, their participation level and their satisfaction with the benefits obtained. We found that the target group has little awareness of existing policies. Policy awareness increases with education, the less remote the farm is, and with increasing specialization in cattle farming. We recommend therefore that policymakers should simplify and redesign existing policy schemes to create one coordinated policy. The various support schemes currently implemented should be combined in this policy and it should be presented in such a way that is easily understood by farmers. Incentives for Ongole breeders should be tailored, the establishment of farmers groups facilitated, and a breeding and selection programme initiated to improve the genetic potential of Ongole for domestic beef production.

Correlation, regression estimates and heterosis of Archachatina marginata snails in Calabar, Nigeria

White skinned ectotypes were used in a study to estimate heterosis, correlation and regression. Data collected on the snails and their eggs included body weight (BWT), shell length (SLH), shell width (SWH), “mouth” length (MLH) and “mouth” width (MWH); and egg weight (EWT), egg length (ELH) and egg width (EWH), respectively. These data were used to estimate correlations between pairs of traits, heterosis and to predict weight from other morphometric traits among three mating groups [black skinned x black skinned (BAM X BAM), white skinned x white skinned (WAM X WAM) and their cross BAM X WAM)]. Results obtained from the study showed that evaluated traits expressed strong, positive and highly significant (P<0.01) correlation values that ranged from rp= 0.86 to rp = 0.99 among the snails mating groups. The correlation values of traits evaluated on eggs laid by these snails ranged from mild (rp = 0.49) through moderate (rp = 0.59, rp= 0.70) to strong/close (rp = 0.89). Regression estimates values obtained ranged from mild (1.30) to high (6.25), an shell width best predicted hatchlings body weight in the black skinned x black skinned (BAM X BAM) mating group, while “mouth” length best predicted hatchlings body weight in the white skinned x white skinned (WAM X WAM) mating group. Traits evaluated for percent heterosis expressed positive and significant (P<0.05) values between the mating groups, with the crossbred (BAM X WAM) mating group having advantage over the purebred (BAM X BAM and WAM X WAM) mating groups. It could therefore be concluded that in the face of appropriate selection programme, heterosis can be exploited to improve snails reproductive and growth traits. It can thus be recommended that having information regarding the association of weight with other contributing traits/parameters is crucial before starting any breeding programme.

Promising black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) cultivars in Hungary

In Hungary, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is one of the most important exotic stand-forming tree species, growing mostly under unfavourable ecological conditions. Considering the climate change effects its importance is increasing in many other countries. As a result of a selection programme, several black locust cultivars have been improved for setting up cultivar trials. In the paper four black locust cultivars were evaluated in Central Hungary under arid hydrological and brown forest soil conditions. Significant differences (P<5%) were found in height, DBH, mean tree volume and average stem form value (SFV). At the age of 35 the cultivar ‘R.p. Jászkiséri’ appeared to be the most promising one for yield production and ‘R.p. Zalai’ for SFV.

Improvement of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) growing under marginal site conditions in Hungary: case studies

In Hungary, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is considered as an important exotic stand-forming tree species growing mostly under unfavourable ecological conditions for forest management. Due to climate change effects, its importance is increasing in many other countries, too. As a result of a selection programme, new black locust clones were tested in clone trials. Juvenile growth of 12 micropropagated black locust clones in two plots series established at different dates were evaluated in central Hungary under marginal site conditions. At age of 7 the clone R. p. ‘Bácska’ (‘KH 56A2/5’), at age of 10 the clones R.p. ‘Homoki’ (‘MB17D3/4’) and ‘PV201E2/4’ appeared to be especially promising for mass production. Based on the data obtained from the performed trials, it can also be concluded that tissue culture can be considered as a suitable tool for propagating superior individuals and offers new prospects for the rapid cloning of selected genotypes used for plantation forestry.

PLANNING CLONAL SELECTION PROGRAMMES FOR PERENNIAL CROPS

SUMMARYA formula is developed for calculating the expected gain when a first-order autoregressive repeated measures model for the plot errors is assumed. Using examples from our earlier papers, the similarities of the conclusions about the best selection programme from using simulation of an unstructured model and from using the autoregressive formula for expected gain are presented. The autoregressive formula is then used to derive optimal programmes when the number of plots or plot years is fixed for a range of values for the variance of the interactions of clone effects with years relative to the variance of the clone effects and for the variances and covariances between years of the plot residuals. In general, there are advantages in studying many clones at low replication rather than fewer clones at high replication.

Selection of promising black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) cultivars in Hungary

In Hungary the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia Linnaeus) is one of the most important exotic stand-forming tree species growing mostly under unfavourable ecological conditions. Considering the climate change effects its importance is increasing also in many other countries. As a result of a selection programme several black locust cultivars have been improved for setting up cultivar trials. In the paper four black locust cultivars were evaluated in Central Hungary under arid hydrological and brown forest soil conditions. Significant differences (P &lt; 5%) were found in height, DBH, mean tree volume and average stem form value (SFV). At the age of 35 years the cultivar “R.p. Jászkiséri” appeared to be the most promising one for yield production and “R.p. Zalai” and “R.p. Nyírségi” for SFV.

Factors affecting first lactation cumulative monthlymilk yields in Frieswal cattle

A study was conducted to analyse the effect of various factors on cumulative monthly milk yields in Frieswal cows at Military Dairy Farm, Meerut, over a period of eight years (2006-2013). A total of 441 part lactation records of cows born to 30 Frieswal sires were analyzed using the SAS (2002) software. The least squares’ model developed for the cumulative 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270 and 300 days yields accounted for 13.5, 13.5, 12.8, 12.0, 11.5, 11.6, 11.3, 10.3, 13.7 and 13.7 per cent of the total variation, respectively. The overall least squares’ averages for the cumulative 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270 and 300 days of first lactation yields were estimated as 313.29, 660.83, 998.19, 1321.58, 1627.06, 1916.78, 2201.26, 2445.01, 2741.04 and 2972.64 kg, respectively. The effects of sire, season and period of calving were found to be statistically non-significant on any of the cumulative monthly part lactation yields while the regression of monthly part yields on AFC was found to be highly significant (P<0.01). Based on the results it was concluded that the AFC was the most significant factor which alters the cumulative part lactation yields in Frieswal cattle while the other factors like sire of cows, season and period of calving did not alter the part yields significantly. The cows calved during rainy season produce comparatively higher yield followed by summer and winter calvers. It may also be concluded that the genetic selection programme implemented in the Frieswal project resulted in increasing the milk production over the years of study.