Animal productions and livestock biodiversity
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: DONATA MARLETTAExpected Learning Outcomes
The students acquire basic knowledge related to the evolution and classification of livestock systems, the main species and breeds raised, the main animal productions. They also acquire basic knowledge related to the use of some biotechnologies to preserve and enhance livestock biodiversity and improve the quality of food of animal origin.
Course Structure
Lectures and other activities. During the course the participation of students will be solicited and they will be invited to interact with each other and with the teacher with questions, curiosities and comments.
Required Prerequisites
None
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
From domestication to animal production. Classification of livestock systems and demographic dynamics. Livestock biodiversity: cosmopolitan breeds and local breeds. Livestock systems and climate change.
Main animal production. Valorisation of breeds and products. Production regulations and protection brands.
The activities of breeding associations.
Introduction to the genomic analysis of livestock and to reproductive biotechnologies applied to the protection of livestock biodiversity (outlines and case studies).
Genetic improvement of the quality and nutritional value of foods of animal origin (case studies).
Textbook Information
Scientific papers and the slides commented on during the lessons will be made available on Studium.
Material downloaded from the web through website research.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From domestication to animal production. Livestock systems and population dynamics. Livestock systems and climate change. | Online search and PDF on Studium |
| 2 | Main animal productions enhancement of breeds and products. Production regulations. Protective trademarks. | Online search and PDF on Studium |
| 3 | The activities of breeding associations. | Online search and PDF on Studium |
| 4 | Introduction to genome analysis techniques of species of livestock interest and biotechnology applied to the preservation of livestock biodiversity (case studies). | Online search and PDF on Studium |
| 5 | Genetic improvement of the quality and nutritional value of foods of animal origin (case study) | Online search and PDF from Proceedings of the conference “La genetica e le sfide future della zootecnia” (9th sept 2021) Accademia dei Georgofili, pag. 378-387. |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Oral exam.
The exam will begin with the presentation of a short paper in the form of a
short power point presentation, of 10-12 slides, on a topic of the program chosen
by the candidate and agreed with the teachers. The exam will proceed
with questions on the remaining parts of the program.
The relevance of the answers to the questions asked, the
quality of the contents, the ability to connect with other topics covered by
the program, the technical language properties and the overall expressive
ability of the student will be assessed.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Intensive and extensive farming systems.
Quality of milk in species and breeds.
Quality of meat in species and breeds.
Native breeds and cosmopolitan breeds.
Monobreed products and quality brands.
Activities of the breeding associations .
Molecular markers for genome analysis.
Characterizatiob and conservation of livestock biodiversity.
Genetic improvement of the quality and nutritional value of foods of animal origin.