Delivering Systematic Information on Indigenous Farm Animal Genetic Resources

of Developing Countries:The concept of Country DAGRIS

Tadelle Dessie

Development of Genomic Characterization Protocols for Rational Conservation and Utilization of Avian Genetic

Resources, South Korea, October 2011

Outline• Livestock biodiversity: what is it about?

• Components of management of livestock biodiversity

• What is DAGRIS about?

• Approach in database development

• Structure of the database

• Current content

• System Demo

• Country DAGRIS

Biodiversity refers to the number, variety and variability of livestock.

Constituent hierarchical elements:• Genes (individual animals)• Breeds• Species, and• Ecosystems (production environment)

Livestock biodiversity: what is it about?

Components of management of livestock biodiversity

understanding•characterisation•documentation

conservation utilizationpriorities

approaches/strategiespolicies

prioritiesapproaches/strategies

policies

• No comprehensive source of information on developing countries Animal resources• Information on AnGR currently scanty and not much is in conventional publications• Efforts underway by researchers to identify and try to fill information gaps• Demand for systematic information is increasing• Need for a publicly accessible databases (electronic) as a tool for public awareness, research, training, genetic improvement and conservation

• Continental, Regional and National level

What are the problems?

Information on the extent of existing diversity, characteristics, use, production environment of

farm animals in Developing countries is the basis for their present as well as future sustainable

utilization

Hypothesis

• Is a public-domain electronic database of domestic AnGR designed to cater the needs of different stakeholders in developing countries

• A tool for improving understanding and management of AnGR

• An essential tool for research, training, public awareness, genetic improvement and conservation

• Developed and managed by ILRI

What is DAGRIS about?

Approach• Collect, organize and store information on animal resource and their

production environment from different sources

• Maintain integrity and validity of the stored information

• Provide easy and efficient access to information to all key stakeholders (researchers, trainers/students, extension personnel, policy makers and farmers)

• Incorporate analytical tools to support evidence based decision-making for utilization and conservation at

• country, regional and global level• Projects e.g. GEF Asia, ASARICA project countries, CRPs etc

Breed data (General)

Breed data(Country specific)

Species

Breed images

Population data

Trait data

Trait types

Trait category

Environment data

Regions

CountriesSource 2(NARS contact)

Source 1(Bibliography)

Web Link

Breed data (General)

Breed data

Species

Breed images

Population data

Trait data

Trait types

Trait category

Environment data

Regions

CountriesSource 2(NARS contact)

Source 1(Bibliography)

Web Link

Structure of the database

• breed description• breed distribution • breed status/trends• major characteristics, including performance• major uses

Current content

• production systems/environment • indigenous knowledge • bibliographic information• web links• summary tables on quantitative traits• User need based Meta analysis results• Non-curative data ????

Current content (cont’d)

Total data size: 41.13 MBTotal number of trait records: 24,536 Total number of breeds/ecotypes :

• Cattle (Africa): 176• Sheep (Africa and Asia): 170• Goats (Africa and Asia): 82• Chicken (Africa and Asia): 124• Pigs (Africa and Asia): 165• Yak (Asia-28): 30• Buffalo (Africa and Asia): 141

Current content (cont’d)

1) it provides essential bibliographic information to all breed-specific information in the database to lead users to more detailed research information;

2) it helps to identify information gaps in characterization information at breed level;

3) it makes use of available relevant breed characterization information from unpublished literature (unpublished research reports, field reports, official documentation, theses etc.);

4) it retains the original integrity of scientific information because results are captured ‘as published’; the original data is available to the user, including the source; and

5) it provides options to summarizing available documented information to facilitate decision making in research and policy formulation, which will be strengthened further in the near future through the development of decision support tools.

What makes DAGRIS unique?

System Demo

Front page

Front page

Search page

Search by trait data: Day old body weight (g)

Bibliographic sources of information

Trait Summary

Web links

Breed distribution

DAGRIS Statistics – Visitors by countries

Start date: June. 2011

End date:Aug., 2010

Total time: 91 day (s)

Distribution of frequent users of DAGRIS (n=5400)

Responses from DAGRIS users and the implication

• The responses to the release of DAGRIS has been remarkable with 100, 000’s hits to the websites and

• Numerous feedback on DAGRIS • content, functionality and suggestion

for directions for future development• Continuous upgrading of its contents • Similarly suggestions were provided to improve

DAGRIS information contents as development/research tool,

Responses from DAGRIS users and the implication

• Based on suggestions and requests • Geo-referencing the data –PED’s• Develop a meta analysis module

• Moreover, consistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), countries would like to have full control of technical information on their genetic/animal resources. • Thus, recognizing the utility of the framework already

developed, countries are asking to be assisted to develop their own information systems.

• In order to address these suggestions and requests in a way

that facilitates the development of the country level information system while also reinforcing the capacity of the national institutions to manage such systems once these are in place.

Why we need to collaborate on country AGRIS development?

• The challenges and the changing global environment in which we operate demand new ways of doing business and stronger partnerships– That needs to mark a paradigm shift and commitment

to embrace innovative ways of collaboration between actors

• GEF Asia project is in a strategic place in the Asia continent makes it a prime partner to dev. C-DAGRIS

Purpose

The purpose of C-DAGRIS is to enhance development and research in sustainable conservation and utilization of animal resource of countries through the building and the delivery of a systematic breed-level information system at country level

Objective

• The main objective of this mini project is development of country based DAGRIS for selected Asian and African countries

The specific activities of the project are: 1. Develop country-modules of the database

that addresses their needs in relation to the main DAGRIS

other regional database; 2. Build up local capacity of institutions to

develop and administer the country-database on farm animal genetic resources;

3. Training staff members of national project partners on collection, summary

and management of breed-level data on indigenous animal genetic

resources;

The specific activities of the project are:

4. Training staff members of national project partners on advances in

sustainable utilization and management of indigenous animal genetic

resources information for research, teaching, development and policy making

purposes;5. Development of a module for remote

capturing of uncurated breed-level research information by users of country DAGRIS;

The specific activities of the project are:

6. Development of functionalities to geo-reference breed-level information in the databases (country DAGRIS and Global DAGRIS) opening up opportunities for overlaying other categories of geographic information systems (such as climate, natural resources, disease risk, market information etc)

7. Develop customized decision support tools using available information at national, regional and

continental level

Summary on the design of the project

• Linked to the ILRI Global DAGRIS, FAO’s DAD-IS etc

• Country-databases will be developed and administered by a national institution in each project country,

• Technical backstopping from ILRI and other stakeholders.

Summary on the design of the project

• The country-database will have a strong components of:

- data compilation, verification and entry through the national partnering institutions and

- will aim to respond to the needs of the local development, research and policy making process

• Beneficiaries of the output of this project include

researchers, trainers and their students at academic institution as well as extension personnel, policy makers and farmers

• Impact will be expected both on teaching, research, animal resource development and policy making areas

Impact and beneficiaries

System Demo Sri Lanka DAGRIS

• Develop the C-DAGRIS database for four of the

project countries;• Develop (customize) data compilation sheet;• Develop data entry module;• Trainee country focal people on use and

management of the database (data compilation, validation, entry etc)

• Including photos• Handover the database to manage and use• Popularizing the database to stakeholders

Next steps

Thank You

©ILRI (2010)

http://dagris.ilri.cgiar.org/