Objective With a human population growth rate of 4.8% per annum, there is an urgent need to increase food production in Kenya. Considering the growing land shortage, the proposed project aims at increasing livestock output and land productivity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the indigenous goat breeds in Kenya: the Small East African, the Galla and the Boran. The genetic resources will be characterised and appropriate breeding strategies for within-breed improvement recommended. A total of about 800 blood samples will be collected from female goats of all three breeds. In addition, production data will be collected and a questionnaire on management system filled in. Allele and genotype frequencies will be estimated by using genetic markers (blood protein polymorphisms, DNA polymorphisms and blood types). The computed frequencies will be used to calculate the respective degrees of heterozygosity as a measure for genotypic variability, and the genetic distances between the breeds as a measure for differences in the genetic composition. Performance data and information on breeding and management strategies will be statistically analysed. Expected results will be: level and variability of the economically important traits (growth and lactation) for each breed, breed differences in similar environments, a characterization of breeding and management systems in the traditional goat husbandry and recommendations for an improved reproduction herd management. The study intends also to ascertain relationships between genetic patterns and environmental adaptation of indigenous breeds at the example of the goat breeds of Kenya. The proposed project will use advanced genetic techniques for animal breeding research in a developing country. However, the expected results will enable a sustainable improvement of the local goat breeds through Simple breeding measurements. Thus, negligible inputs will lead to considerable returns. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinssocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivityagricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedomestic animalsanimal husbandry Programme(s) FP3-STD 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the life sciences and technologies for developing countries, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Universität Hohenheim EU contribution No data Address Garbenstraße 17 70599 Stuttgart Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Agricultural University of Athens Greece EU contribution No data Address 75,Iera Odos 11855 Athens See on map Total cost No data Egerton University Kenya EU contribution No data Address Njoro See on map Total cost No data Universität Hohenheim Germany EU contribution No data Address Garbenstraße 17 70599 Stuttgart See on map Total cost No data