Animal Genetics Research at Sokoine University of
Agriculture, Tanzania
Paul Gwakisa
Animal Genetic Research for Africa (Biosciences for Farming
in Africa), Nairobi, 10-11 September 2015

Our Focus / Objectives
• To characterise local animal genetic
resources in order to have a good
understanding of their unique attributes,
diversity and socio-economic value to
farmers
• To design developmental research for
improving local animal genotypes in
terms of productivity and disease
resistance

Our main problems
• Although Tanzania is the 2nd
or 3rd
country in
Africa in terms livestock (cattle) population size,
but the populations exist in poorly defined
‘breeds’ / ‘ecotypes’ / or ‘strains’
• Diseases of trade importance (eg FMD) as well as
vector borne diseases (ECF, Trypanosomiasis)
seriously cost farmers in terms of morbidity, calf
mortality and loss of production and we poorly
understand the genetics of some of the observed
phenomenon eg adaptation and resistance to
disease

Our research
• To understand what do we mean really when we
say ‘indigenous’ breed?
• To define and balance between ‘indigenous’ and
‘improved’ without breaking cultural values of
the people who own the ‘indigenous’ breeds
• Genetics research from the point of view of
indigenous breeds-related resistance, vaccine
responses, and adaptation to local environmental
/ ecological conditions

Our research - cattle
• Local breeds of cattle (Bos indicus) in Tanzania
are usually more resistant to some diseases, eg
ECF, than B. taurus cattle
• Also, calves born in ECF endemic areas usually
became immune by natural exposure within the
first year of life without showing clinical signs.
– We are now conducting research to compare
selected local breeds in terms of their innate and
acquired immunological responses following ECF
vaccination.

Our research - chickens
• Tanzania is endowed with a rich diversity of
local chicken ecotypes showing unique
attributes such as fitness to the environment
(poor nutrition and diseases)
– We are now studying the local chickens in terms
of their productivity (body weight, egg laying)
and resistance to a major chicken disease – New
Castle Disease

Our research - microbes
• One of the most spectacular scenes in Africa are
the garbage dumping sites in urban and peri-
urban areas
• We became interested in research on abundance
and diversity of bacteria of zoonotic / public
health importance found in dumpsites where
humans, animals (feral and wild) and microbes
have formed a unique ‘ecosystem’
• Our studies have revealed unprecedented
bacterial diversity as well as anti-microbial
resistance genes in dumpsites in urban areas

Thank you