Development of an innovative approach to identify biological determinants associated with differences in feed efficiency in sheep farming Project leader Daina Kairiša Team of project Dace Bārzdiņa Duration 2022 - 2024 Research focus 4. Development and adaptation of technologies for obtaining high-value agricultural and forest products, as well as in veterinary medicine Source of funding National research programs Project partners Latvia University, Leading partner, Trapiņa I, , Paramonova N. biedrība "Latvijas Aitu audzētāju asociācija"Šenfelde L. Description of project The aim of research The aim of the study is to determine genetic and molecular markers to identify individual animals in a sheep herd with maximum propensity for feed digestibility and weight gain, with the aim of introducing them into breeding. The tasks of project: To achieve the project goal, lambs will be selected from Latvian meat-type breeds, a fattening trial, and animals will be grouped based on feed efficiencyPre-grouped animals will be evaluated for phenotypic parameters, possible genetic markers (using next-generation sequencing), molecular markers for metabolic efficiency and product quality (body weight, height, fat content)Chemical and biochemical analysis of biological samples (blood, serum, stool samples) will be performed Results Trapina, I., Kairisa, D., & Paramonova, N. (2024). Analysing the Cost of Concentrated Feed and Income from Meat in Relation to Relative Growth Rate and Kleiber’s Ratio in Intensive Fattening of Latvian Dark-Headed Lambs. Agriculture, 14(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040593Trapina, I., Plavina, S., Krasņevska, N., Paramonovs, J., Kairisa, D., & Paramonova, N. (2024). IGF1 and IGF2 gene polymorphisms are associated with the feed efficiency of fattened lambs in Latvian sheep breads. Agronomy Research, 22. https://doi.org/10.15159/AR.24.055Trapina, I., Plavina, S., Krasņevska, N., Paramonovs, J., Kairisa, D., & Paramonova, N. (2024). MSTN gene polymorphisms are associated with the feed efficiency of fattened lambs in Latvian sheep breeds. Agronomy Research, 22. https://doi.org/10.15159/AR.24.070 Trapina, I., Kairisa, D., & Paramonova, N. (2023). Comparison of sire rams of the Latvian Dark-Head breed according to feed efficiency indicators as the beginning of genomic breeding research. Agronomy Research, 21. https://doi.org/10.15159/AR.23.030 Trapiņa Ilva, Kairiša Daina, Paramonova Natālija (2023.). Feed efficiency indicators and hormones related to nutrient metabolism in intensive fattened lambs of sire rams of different sheep breeds in Latvia/ Agronomy Research. - Vol. 21(S2) (2023), 611.-622.lpp. https://doi.org/10.15159/AR.23.031
