Scientists of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS) carried out experiments on crossing several breeds of reindeer in Russia. The results of the study demonstrated an increase in meat productivity in the first-generation hybrids. This practice can be used to increase the productivity of reindeer herding.
Reindeer are domesticated by indigenous peoples of the north inhibiting the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. There, these animals not only form the basis of the economy, but also contribute to the survival of local peoples, and therefore also contribute to the preservation of their culture, customs and languages. At the same time, scientists are studying the biological characteristics of reindeer that can potentially increase the economic efficiency of reindeer herding.
Heterosis is a phenomenon particularly studied by reindeer researchers of the SPC RAS. Heterosis means a process when an offspring of hybrids surpasses their parents in certain characteristics, like productivity, viability, and adaptability. This phenomenon is not associated with any change in genetic material, and manifests itself through the stimulation of metabolic processes.
Heterosis is actively used in animal husbandry and selection, and its theoretical justification was given already in the 19th century by Charles Darwin. However, in reindeer herding, this process has hardly been studied, because of the difficulties in performing experiments and the absence of breeding records. Nevertheless, the heterosis’ effect is used in practice in the form of "blood refreshment" - a periodic change of males in herds, what helps to improve genetic diversity and productivity.
“We carried out experiments aimed at assessing the growth and meat productivity of the first-generation crossbreeds of several reindeer breeds, namely the Nenets and Chukchi breeds, as well as the Even and Tofalar intrabreed group of the Evenki breed,” says Alexander Yuzhakov, Chief Researcher at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Environmental Management of the Arctic, N-W CIRPFM –SPC RAS.
Studies were carried out in forest-tundra of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) using Chukchi males delivered by air. The experiment included the formation of experimental and control groups of young animals, consisting of 40 males and 40 females, with regular control weighings at the age of 3, 6 and 18 months. Average daily gain and meat productivity were assessed through a special program.
According to scientific tests, Nenets-Chukchi crossbreeds surpassed their purebred peers in live weight in 77.2% of 22 studied indicators, and Eveno-Tofalar crossbreeds demonstrated an advantage in 63.6% of the indicators. Control slaughter confirmed that the pre-slaughter weight and carcass weight of the crossbreeds are consistently higher than that of purebred reindeer.
"The research results indicate the high efficiency of interbreeding, what opens up new horizons for commercial reindeer farming in Siberian regions. In the future, the introduction of this practice to reindeer farms can be used to increase the meat productivity of the industry," notes Alexander Yuzhakov.
The study results are published in the scientific journal "All about meat". The article is a part in a large work done by the scientists of the SPC RAS concerning the organization of breeding work at farms in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Over the past 10 years, the researchers used to work in Yamal, Murmansk Oblast, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Taimyr and Kamchatka.
Deputy Director for Research of the N-W CIRPFM –SPC RAS separate structural division, Academician of RAS Kasim Laishev and Leading Researcher of the SPC RAS Artem Musidray also took part in this study. Experts from the SPC RAS closely cooperate with the country's leading scientific institutions in animal husbandry and genetics. These include Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding of Farm Animals of the Russian Agricultural Academy, “Biotrof” company, Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Yakut Academy of Sciences, as well as agricultural universities and Veterinary Academy of St. Petersburg. Lately, the scientific team of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Environmental Management of the Arctic at N-W CIRPFM –SPC RAS published 11 monographs and about 200 scientific articles, won 2 grants from the Russian Science Foundation and 4 regional competitions.