Borodai Irina
Doctor
of Historical Sciences (Ukraine)
History of
development of information computer programs in cattle breeding of Ukraine
The organization and implementation of large-scale
breeding programs of dairy cattle has been provided through the use of
information computer systems for data collection, storage and operation of
breeding records of the farm animal populations. Modeling and optimization of
breeding programs of sire evaluation for progeny by BLUP, index assessment of
the breeding qualities of animals and a number of other works are not feasible
without its use. It contributes to
solving the basic economic problem – profit at the expense of the production of
commercial products required high quality at the lowest cost by technological and
selective process control on the basis of appropriate optimization and
technological models.
In the Soviet Union the information computer programs for
breeding of dairy breeds were first used by the All-Union Institute of Animal
Breeding and Genetics (Moscow). The first automated information system has been
developed and implemented by Ukrainian scientist, Professor N. Basovsky in the Leningrad region in 1985. The scientists of
the Institute have formed a database of all dairy breeds which were bred in the
Leningrad region [1].
Using of the automated information systems made it possible to
successfully solve many problems in animal breeding, in particular the
optimization of large-scale breeding programs, evaluation of sires on
the basis the latest achievements of
population genetics (BLUP method), assessment of animal selection results,
matching analysis, the results of crossing and more. Functioning of automated
information system "INSEL" in conjunction with a complex of measures
on the breeding work has helped improve the genetic potential of dairy cattle.
If at the end of 60-s of ХХ century genetic improvement of the population was 13 kg of
milk per cow every year, in the 70-s this parameter was equal to 24 kg, the
recent increase in the annual milk yield was 40-50 kg of milk per cow every
year [2].
At the same time the Latvian scientists with the participation of All-Union
Institute of Animal Husbandry (Moscow) have developed automated information
system "SELEKS". Its major developers are L. Ernst, A. Tsalitis. According to this system the specialists of
breeding farms passed information about calving and insemination of animals,
control of milking cows in Computer Center of the tribal enterprise each month.
On the basis of this information they accounted for annual reports on
productivity and reproductive ability of animals within a region, district,
farm and herd. At the end of the year they accounted for total of each pedigree
animal and the whole herd, district, region. Totals productive cows for 305
days in milk were used to produce reports on the appraisal of the animals, an assessment
of bulls for progeny, analysis of the crossing results, evaluation of the
lines, families and other tasks on the breeding work [6]. The first automated information systems in
animal husbandry have become the prototype of the modern computer information
systems "Genealogy", "Rotation", "Selection"
which are widely use today in Ukraine. Their main advantage – quick solution of
many problems of selection through the use of a data bank on the bulls-sires of the region, district for the last15-20 years.
The users of information systems
"Genealogy", "Rotation", "Selection" can carry
out analysis of genealogy, the linear structure of breeds bred in the region
through the periodic accounting information about the bulls-sires, their
ancestors and descendants; management of the genealogical structure of breeds
by controlling the productivity of sire daughters, evaluations of bulls and
cows, lines, evaluation and use of the most productive of them, the intensive
use of the best sires-improvers main selection signs; preparing of the line
rotation plans for the population [7].
The information systems "Genealogy",
"Selection" can be successfully applied in the breeding work with
breeds of dairy cattle in farms by modeling of improves selection in line
breeding, taking into account the degree of inbreeding, unwanted genes
ancestors in order to obtain the line founders and successors, related groups
of cows with record productivity.
For a more intense development and implementation
of automated information systems Department of Computer Programming was
established at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics in 1991. The
department activities was primarily directed at developing a strategy of dairy
and beef cattle computerization, the introduction of software for different
levels of selection process management (herd, breeding company, district,
region, republic, breed), creating information databases of cows and bull of
pedigree farms and so on.
The
department has developed main information scheme for cattle breeding
management, application packages for various levels of selection process
management in dairy and beef cattle [3].
Setting up of complex software they started with
adapting the programs to the specific conditions of the economy through modes
of "Feeding", "Herd", "Selection", "Immunogenetics" and others, which operate on a data bank. In particular, for
the functioning of the bloc "Immunogenetics"
they have made to the computer's memory only materials of immunological
research. An immunological data bank made it possible to carry passports,
identification and analysis of individual genotypes of heifers and bulls and
control the probability of their origin. Bloc "Selection" was the
auxiliary tool in the planning of recruitment couples. For its work was created
a database of bull-sires, which provides used as founders of new generations.
The system was implemented in the form of interconnected software modules. The
bloc "Diet" was developed for the rapid nutrition of different age
groups of farm animals based on real possibilities economy. This set of
software tools was tested in experimental farm "Scientific" of Dnipropetrovsk region in 1994 and has been recommended for
widespread implementation in practice of the other farms [3].
Management of the selection process was provided
by software appraisal cattle of dairy and beef breeds. In addition, they
developed "Automated system of scheduling the use of bulls-sire semen
". The program has contributed to finding optimal variant of securing
sires; planning and control of the desired and acceptable levels of inbreeding
and homozygosity degree; line rotation; optimization
of the number of breeding stock of some sires; automation of sire selecting;
attracting of the best sires and implementation of inter-regional exchange of
bull sperm. The program has been implemented in the breeding farms of Transcarpathian region.
The Ukrainian scientists also have developed and
implemented "Automated file of bull-sires" for information support of
breeding service of Ukraine using data on quantity and quality of the pedigree
animals at the levels of district, region and country. They operated with such
indicators as origin of sires, their pedigree and ownership structure of the
genotype, growth and development, exterior and constitution, productive and
technological quality, reproductive capacity, the reasons for retirement etc.
User of the program had the opportunity to obtain the necessary information
about each sires of the some district, region and country at any time [4].
They have completed the development of the
algorithm of program of evaluation of bulls based on the offspring quality,
which contributed to increasing the probability of the bull estimation through
the proper selection daughters and peers, introduction of tours in obtaining of
the assessment results in the management of selection level.
Today, breeders use such animal parameters: a
physiological state, mass, milking parameters (milk yield, milking time,
quality characteristics of milk), the chemical composition of feedstuffs,
animal habitat conditions (microclimate) and technological parameters of
milking systems. In addition, they have begun to monitor the animal's health
parameters (body temperature, udder temperature, the presence of mastitis
etc.). The set of measurements of the biological object and environment is
necessary for the formation of control actions to ensure the best possible
management of the process, for example milk production [5].
The modern computer information systems uses
mathematical models of biological development of animals, their productivity
depending on the physiological state, feeding regime, feed composition and
conditions of detention; optimization models of feed rations and the structure
of the herd turnover, selection and breeding work. Automated production
management in dairy farming is based on complete information on each cow and
operational information, the analysis of which able to optimize the maintenance
and operation the individual animal and the entire herd.
Thus,
the introduction of large-scale breeding in Ukraine, the implementation of
programs of cattle improvement on the basis of use of the best world gene pool
based on the collection, processing and accumulation of numerous data
biological, morphological, breeding, genetic, technological, statistical and
other characteristics of animals. To operate such a volume of information
within a country, region or a particular breed and help to accelerate genetic
progress populations of animals is almost impossible without the introduction
of information selection process. The first automated information programs were
developed in the 80-s of the twentieth century and used to assess the
bull-sires by offspring, to analyze the results of crossing, to compare lines
and families and others. The modern automated information programs operate
numerous parameters such as an
origin of sires, exterior and constitution, productive and technological
features, reproductive capacity, physiological state, mass, milking parameters,
the chemical composition of feedstuffs, microclimate and technological
parameters of milking systems.
References
1.
Басовский Н.З. Популяционная
генетика в селекции молочного скота. Москва. 1983.
2. Бородай
І. С. Теоретико-методологічні основи становлення та розвитку вітчизняної
зоотехнічної науки. Вінниця, 2012.
3. Буркат В. П.,
Бородай І.С. Нариси з історії інституту: монографія. – К.: Аграрна наука, 2008.
– 556 с.
4. Зубец М.В., Винничук
Д.Т., Гавриленко В.П., Катмаков П.С. Микро-ЭВМ в генетике и селекции молочного скота. Киев.
1992.
5. Завертяев Б.П. Генетические
методы оценки племенных качеств молочного скота. Ленинград. 1986.
6. Цалитис А.А. Интегрированная система животноводства «СЕЛЭКС». Молочный скот. Рабочий
проект. Сигулда. 1979.
7. Эрнст Л.К., Цалитис А.А. Крупномасштабная
селекция в скотоводстве. Москва. 1982.