Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda
Introduction:In Africa, dairy cattle contribute significantly to the economy; however, a substantial proportion of these animals are low-yielding indigenous breeds. To increase dairy productivity, crossbreeding with exotic breeds such as European Holstein and Jersey is becoming increasingly common....
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1567910/full |
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| author | Enrique Sanchez-Molano Robert Mukiibi Valentina Riggio Joel Ogwang Leonard Kawule Katali Benda Peter Beine Barend M. de Clare Bronsvoort James Prendergast Andrea B. Doeschl-Wilson Adrian Muwonge |
| author_facet | Enrique Sanchez-Molano Robert Mukiibi Valentina Riggio Joel Ogwang Leonard Kawule Katali Benda Peter Beine Barend M. de Clare Bronsvoort James Prendergast Andrea B. Doeschl-Wilson Adrian Muwonge |
| author_sort | Enrique Sanchez-Molano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction:In Africa, dairy cattle contribute significantly to the economy; however, a substantial proportion of these animals are low-yielding indigenous breeds. To increase dairy productivity, crossbreeding with exotic breeds such as European Holstein and Jersey is becoming increasingly common. Uncontrolled crossbreeding practices, however, pose a risk to the genetic integrity of local breeds, as highly productive but potentially maladapted animals may replace indigenous populations. This study aimed to characterise the genetic structure of crossbred dairy cattle in UgandaMethods:We used admixture analysis, while also assessing genomic diversity and inbreeding levels. Additionally, we evaluated the utility of farmer-generated phenotypic databases by integrating them with genomic data to explore the impact of exotic breed crossbreeding on disease frequency.Results and discussion:Findings from this study show a strong influence of exotic breeds (e.g., Holstein) in Ugandan crossbred cattle, leading to lower inbreeding and observed homozygosity than those observed for indigenous breeds. Exploratory analyses of available disease records provided evidence of a strong survivor bias, likely linked to higher mortality rates from diseases such as East Coast fever. These results show the importance of investigating the genetic composition of farm animals, in order to develop informed and sustainable breeding strategies in African dairy cattle systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e39ad5d457648e782962d4573f2c2f7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e39ad5d457648e782962d4573f2c2f72025-08-20T03:13:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212025-04-011610.3389/fgene.2025.15679101567910Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central UgandaEnrique Sanchez-Molano0Robert Mukiibi1Valentina Riggio2Joel Ogwang3Leonard Kawule4Katali Benda5Peter Beine6Barend M. de Clare Bronsvoort7James Prendergast8Andrea B. Doeschl-Wilson9Adrian Muwonge10The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomNational Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank, Entebbe, UgandaVetline Services Ltd., Kampala, UgandaNational Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank, Entebbe, UgandaNational Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank, Entebbe, UgandaThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomThe Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United KingdomIntroduction:In Africa, dairy cattle contribute significantly to the economy; however, a substantial proportion of these animals are low-yielding indigenous breeds. To increase dairy productivity, crossbreeding with exotic breeds such as European Holstein and Jersey is becoming increasingly common. Uncontrolled crossbreeding practices, however, pose a risk to the genetic integrity of local breeds, as highly productive but potentially maladapted animals may replace indigenous populations. This study aimed to characterise the genetic structure of crossbred dairy cattle in UgandaMethods:We used admixture analysis, while also assessing genomic diversity and inbreeding levels. Additionally, we evaluated the utility of farmer-generated phenotypic databases by integrating them with genomic data to explore the impact of exotic breed crossbreeding on disease frequency.Results and discussion:Findings from this study show a strong influence of exotic breeds (e.g., Holstein) in Ugandan crossbred cattle, leading to lower inbreeding and observed homozygosity than those observed for indigenous breeds. Exploratory analyses of available disease records provided evidence of a strong survivor bias, likely linked to higher mortality rates from diseases such as East Coast fever. These results show the importance of investigating the genetic composition of farm animals, in order to develop informed and sustainable breeding strategies in African dairy cattle systems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1567910/fulldairy cattleEast Africacrossbreedingadmixturegenomics |
| spellingShingle | Enrique Sanchez-Molano Robert Mukiibi Valentina Riggio Joel Ogwang Leonard Kawule Katali Benda Peter Beine Barend M. de Clare Bronsvoort James Prendergast Andrea B. Doeschl-Wilson Adrian Muwonge Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda Frontiers in Genetics dairy cattle East Africa crossbreeding admixture genomics |
| title | Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda |
| title_full | Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda |
| title_short | Genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central Uganda |
| title_sort | genomic and health characteristics of crossbred dairy cattle in central uganda |
| topic | dairy cattle East Africa crossbreeding admixture genomics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1567910/full |
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