- Info
Innovation Network In Animal Reproduction
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE SELECTION, MULTIPLICATION, BIOLOGICAL SAFETY, INTERCHANGE AND DISSEMINATION OF GENETIC RESOURCES IN DIFFERENT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AIMING AT COMPETITIVENESS OF NATIONAL LIVESTOCK 01/2009
Characterization of the Problem Focused by the Network
Project
Increasingly demanding consumers and meat
and milk production systems pressured by other segments of agriculture,
clearly establish that the research challenge is focused on the
increase in productivity, cost reduction and food quality improvement.
The production itself (actions before the "gate") is built on classic
pillars of animal production: genetic, sanitary, nutritional component,
handling and reproduction. The range of assumptions, quality and costs
is directly related to the production system and the adoption of
technological innovations by the productive sector. In a general way,
the large and “mega” livestock-oriented enterprises demand and adopt
state of art technologies, the same not occurring among those with a
small-scale production, although important to the country's total
production. Within that context, the Network proposes to assist in
developing technology options that can meet different production
systems in the different Brazilian ecosystems, without losing sight of
the quality of the product and the pay of the country man.
As great challenges justifying the proposal of the Network it is
possible to list:
- 1. To elaborate a program instrument
with the purpose of ordaining on a more efficient way the different
research actions, development and innovation, associated to the
assisted reproduction technologies and related areas such as genetics,
health and nutrition;
- 2. To foster actions to promote the
identification and the dissemination o f higher genetic material, and
the development of models for milk and meat exploitation in the
different ecosystems, with the due health safety; 2) to develop
innovating technologies capable of improving the Brazilian livestock
competitiveness;
- 3. To provide the country with
laboratory infrastructure and skilled human resources capable of
quickly responding to the market demands;
- 4. To level the technological
status among the different species of zootechnical interest (bovine,
ovine, caprine, bubaline, equine and swine);
- 5. To generate basic knowledge and in
related strategic areas, which shall drive the agriculture sector, as
well as other sectors, such as human health.
The development of several reproduction biotechnologies, such as the
artificial dissemination (AD), super ovulation (SOV), collection and
transfer of embryos (TE), in vitro production of embryos (VPE), cloning
by Nuclear transfer (NT) and transgenic organism, may greatly
contribute with the programs of animal improvement (Franco & Melo,
2006).
As regards sanitary issues, although the main focus of the Network
is on the control of diseases in donor/recipient animals of embryos and
in the biological safety of semen, oocytes and embryos, the possibility
of producing animals more adapted to ecosystems and production systems,
shall lead to a reduction in the use of inputs such as food and drugs,
contributing to the final quality of the product.
The nutritional features approached in the project are intended to
the improvement of the reproductive function and the quality of the
gametes and embryos, which allows a greater efficiency in the
processing and use of this genetic material.