Browsing by Person "Shumbusho, Felicien"

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From a documented past of the Jersey breed in Africa to a profit index linked future
(2022) Opoola, Oluyinka; Shumbusho, Felicien; Hambrook, David; Thomson, Sam; Dai, Harvey; Chagunda, Mizeck G. G.; Capper, Jude L.; Moran, Dominic; Mrode, Raphael; Djikeng, Appolinaire
The paper reports on the prevalence and performance of the Jersey cattle breed in Africa, highlighting its geographic distribution and describing the reported performance and other related characteristics from the early 1900s to the present day. The review examines the contribution of Jersey cattle in increasing the volume and efficiency of milk production across the continent. Data relating to the Jersey cattle breed has been reported in more than 30 African countries based on available material published between 1964 and 2020. A key encompassing parameter of any reference was a well-described consideration of the Jersey cattle breed (as pure or crossbred with other exotic and/or indigenous breeds) with reported performance within a variety of production systems and agro-ecologies in Africa. The main focus was on breed and performance parameters, breed types, percentage of different breed types in specific environments, reproduction method and fertility; survival and longevity; disease incidence; and production efficiency metrics such as: feed efficiency (milk unit per dry matter intake, DMI) and milk yield (MY) per unit of body weight (BW). The main performance descriptors identified were based on observations on resilience under both abiotic (heat, nutrition) and biotic (incidences of pests and diseases) stressors, milk production, BW, nutrition and utilisation of feed resources. From the literature consulted, we grouped key dairy cattle performance characteristics reported in each country under the following areas to aid comparisons; a. Milk production (Milk nutrient value, daily MY, lifetime MY and annual MY); b. Fertility traits and AFC; c. Survival and longevity, d. Production efficiency (Feed efficiency, milk per unit BW and milk per unit DMI and e. Disease incidences. Results of the review showed that the smaller stature and lower maintenance nutrient requirements of the Jersey breed means that it is better suited to tolerate the tropical production conditions in the African small-scale dairy farming sector. Detailed analyses on MY and survival showed that Jersey crosses with exotic and African indigenous breeds performed better than purebred cattle with strong evidence to support the suitability of the Jersey breed in crossbreeding with indigenous breeds for use in smallholder production systems.
The genetic structure and diversity of smallholder dairy cattle in Rwanda
(2025) Opoola, Oluyinka; Shumbusho, Felicien; Rwamuhizi, Innocent; Houaga, Isidore; Harvey, David; Hambrook, David; Watson, Kellie; Chagunda, Mizeck G. G.; Mrode, Raphael; Djikeng, Appolinaire; Opoola, Oluyinka; Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems (GAAFS) and the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (RDSVS), University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK; Shumbusho, Felicien; Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Kigali, Rwanda; Rwamuhizi, Innocent; Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Kigali, Rwanda; Houaga, Isidore; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK; Harvey, David; Land O’Lakes Venture37®, Arden Hills, MN, USA; Hambrook, David; Royal Jersey Agricultural & Horticultural Society (RJAHS), Trinity, Jersey Island, Jersey; Watson, Kellie; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK; Chagunda, Mizeck G. G.; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK; Mrode, Raphael; Scotlands’ Rural College (SRUC), Roslin Institute Building, Edinburgh, UK; Djikeng, Appolinaire; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK
Previous genomic characterisation of Rwanda dairy cattle predominantly focused on the One Cow per Poor Family (locally called “Girinka”) programme. However, smallholder farmers in Rwanda have benefited from other livestock initiatives and development programmes. Capturing and documenting the genetic diversity, is critical in part as a key contribution to genomic resource required to support dairy development in Rwanda. A total of 2,229 crossbred animals located in all dairy-producing regions of Rwanda were sampled. For each animal, a hair sample was collected and genotyped by using the Geneseek Genomic Profiler (GGP, Neogen Geneseek ® ) Bovine 50 K ( n = 1,917) and GGP Bovine 100 K arrays ( n = 312). The combined dataset was subject to quality control, data curation for use in population genetics and genomic analyses. To assess the genetic structure and diversity of the current population, key analyses for population structure were applied: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), population structure and diversity, admixture analysis, measures of heterozygosity, runs of homozygosity (ROH) and minor allelic frequency (MAF). A dataset of global dairy population of European taurine, African indicus and African taurus ( n = 250) was used as reference. Results showed that Rwanda cattle population is highly admixed of diverse pure and crossbred animals with average MAF of 33% (standard error; se = 0.001) with proportion of foreign high yielding (taurine) dairy breeds of Jersey Island (18%); 12% non-Island Jersey and 42% Holstein-Friesian ancestries. Two African Bos taurus and five Bos indicus breeds contributed 28% of their genetics. Genetic distances were highest in Gir and N’dama (0.29); and Nelore and N’dama (0.29). There were 1,331 ROH regions and average heterozygosity were high for Rwanda cattle (0.41 se = 0.001). Asides well-established genes in cattle, we found evidence for a variety of novel and less-known genes under selection to be associated with fertility, milk production, innate immunity and environmental adaptation. This observed diversity offers opportunity to decipher the presence and/or lack of genetic variations to initiate short- and long-term breed improvement programmes for adaptation traits, disease resistance, heat tolerance, productivity and profitability of smallholder dairy systems in Rwanda.