The course is based on the study of the latest biotechnology techniques aimed at reducing the climatic impact of animal breeding in the main mono and polygastric species (cattle, sheep, pigs).
The areas of interest are: Nutrition; Breeding systems; Physiology of reproduction; Use of genomic tools for animal production.
Climate Change Impact on Livestock: Adaptation and Mitigation. Edited by Sejian V., Gaughan J., Baumgard L., Prasad C. Springer India 2015. ISBN 9788132222644
Advances in Farm Animal Genomic Resources. Joost et al. (2016). Lausanne: Frontiers Media.
Genomic selection in animals. Weller J.I. Wiley & Sons Inc., 2015. ISBN 9780470960073
Mammalian genomics. Edited by R. Ruvinsky and J. Marshall Graves. CAB International 2005. ISBN 0851999107
Scientific papers from specialized journals provided by the Teachers on topics of the program
Learning Objectives
Knowledge
The student will acquire knowledge on the climate impact in animal production and on the possible climate mitigation strategies on animals and vice versa.
Expertise
The student will have acquired the skills necessary to make estimates of the environmental impact of livestock farms as well as the skills necessary to plan genetic improvement designs aimed at reducing the environmental impact of animal farming.
Capacity
The student will be able to propose tools for the reduction of harmful emissions in the breeding systems of the main species of zootechnical interest. The student will also have acquired the ability to identify genomic regions linked to phenotypic characteristics of environmental interest.
Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
Lectures, seminars, discussion groups on topics assigned by the teachers. Didactic visits.
Further information
None
Type of Assessment
Oral exam, with questions formulated in order to verify that the student has acquired specific knowledge and ability to correlate the different topics addressed during the course.
Course program
Global Warming: Role of livestock. Adaptive mechanism of livestock to changing climate. Adaptation strategies to improve livestock production under changing climate. Anatomy and physiology of the reproductive and gastrointestinal apparatus in ruminant and monogastric. Management of livestock to cope with climate change. Breeding and feeding strategies to reduce the environmental impact of pig farming. Precision Farming and Precision Feeding. Alternative breeding systems. Possibility to use genetically modified animals: the case of the environmental pig. Manipulation of rumen microbial ecosystem for reducing methane emission. Impact of Climate Change on livestock production and reproduction. Impact of climate changes on livestock disease occurrences. Enteric Methane Emission under Different Feeding System. Methodologies for estimation of enteric methane emission in livestock. Reducing enteric methane emission using plant secondary metabolites. Nitrogen excretion in livestock husbandry: prediction equations and modulation. Genomics. From genotype to phenotype. Biochemical markers. Metagenomics approaches of rumen function and rumen microbial diversity. Genomic selection for efficiency, reduced emissions intensity, and adaptation. Tools for the genetic of adaptation. Use of the R software for the management of genomic data.