BREEDING ADMIXTURE OF CATTLE POPULATIONS KEPT IN THE THABO MOFUTSANYANE DISTRICT

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the population structure of the cattle breeds in Thabo Mofutsanyane district using microsatellite markers. Blood samples were collected from three population of Thabo Mofutsanyane district namely: Dihlabeng (n = 32), Phumelela (n = 34) and Maluti-a-Phofung (n = 34). A total of 323 cattle (Nguni, Holstein, Brahman, Hereford, Bonsmara, Afrikaner, Limousin, Jersey, Angus, Drakensberger, Simmentaler and Charolais) were used as reference populations to acquire the population structure. The samples were evaluated for genetic variation, population assignment and genetic distance using 16 different polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci. A high level of genetic variation was observed with a total 139 distinctive alleles detected across the studied populations, with a number of observed alleles ranging from 5 - 17. The average genetic differentiation (FST) was 0.010, indicating that 0.01 % of genetic diversity can be explained by the genetic differentiation among the populations whereas 99 % can be explained by differences among individual. STRUCTURE analysis revealed no genetic structure between the three populations of Thabo Mofutsanyane. Cattle breeds showed a high admixture population in Dihlabeng with breeds such as Bonsmara (18 %), Simmentaler (14 %), Brahman (12 %) and Drakensberger (11 %) while for Phumelela it was breeds such as Bonsmara (24 %), Charolais (11 %), Brahman, Drakensberger and Simmentaler at 10 %. For Maluti-a- Phofung, breeds such as Charolais (15 %), Bonsmara (14 %), Limousin (13 %) and Drakensberger (11 %) contributed on the observed population admixture. The results presented in this study showed a high level of admixture among the cattle breeds in and can be used as a base line for the development of breeding program in Thabo Mofutsanyane.