A laboratory for the genetic examination of farm animals was opened in the Stavropol Territory

According to NCFU Rector Dmitry Bespalov, the opening of the laboratory will also solve the tasks of the agricultural national project, which will increase investment in agricultural science, and this, in turn, will lead to the creation of new technologies for the production of lactulose, fertilizers, biofeeds and the development of the food industry.

The university has identified 30 projects in the field of genetics, breeding and research of nanomaterials. Soon they will start working on feed additives for animals and create an information system for determining soil parameters and assessing the condition of plants using drones.

As the professor of the Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the NCFU, DOCTOR of Biological Sciences Yuri Krivoruchko, told the RG correspondent, the laboratory is common to the university and the North Caucasian Federal Scientific Agrarian Center (FNAC).

- Its main goal is to use genetic technologies in the breeding process in the field of animal husbandry. However, we are not focusing only on this and are expanding research into the field of plant genetics. Despite the fact that the organisms are different, the same research methods and technologies are applicable to them, and the equipment is also suitable, - the scientist noted.

In June 2022, the order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation "On approval of requirements for types of breeding farms" was issued. One of the mandatory was the assessment of the quality of the offspring and the productivity of breeding animals-producers. Molecular genetic examination is the basis for determining tribal affiliation. it allows you to distinguish lambs and not pass off ordinary ones as breeding ones. The same applies to small and large cattle, pigs and even fur-bearing animals.

- This is very important, because the results of the research give the farm the right to receive government subsidies. Those farmers who count on support should carry out these examinations, that is, genetic examination from the field of theory has stepped into the practical plane and has become indispensable in modern animal husbandry, - Yuriy Krivoruchko emphasized.

Also, laboratory specialists will be engaged in forecasting the productivity of animals. For example, a number of studies of breeds bred in the Stavropol Territory have already been made. Agriculture in the region, Krivoruchko believes, will have to make an accelerated transition from fine-fleeced sheep breeding to MEAT. To do this, it is necessary to improve the corresponding qualities of the local livestock.

“It can be done in the foreseeable future only with the help of genetics,” the expert added. - It is necessary to select animals not just by appearance, but by genotype. The lamb has just been born, and we must already predict whether it will have good meat qualities. Now we are developing a methodology that will allow breeders of the region to use the technologies of genomic and marker-associated breeding. Similar work is underway in Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, it is planned to allocate a lot of money for the meat sheep breeding program in the North Caucasus Federal District.

According to the scientist, due to changes in legislation and the scaling of sheep meat, the demand for genetic research will only grow in the coming years.

For the purchase of equipment for the laboratory, funds were used that were allocated by the government of the Russian Federation as part of the program for updating the equipment of scientific organizations - this is more than 30 million rubles. The North Caucasian FNAC spent about 20 million more for the same purposes. Moreover, the equipment of the two institutions complements each other. Thanks to NCFU, the laboratory was able to conduct whole genome sequencing, and thanks to the FNAC, it was possible to assess the reliability of the origin of animals using simpler but more economical methods.

- Confirmation of authenticity of origin will be the main service that we will provide to farmers. The laboratory is included in the register of the Ministry of Agriculture of RUSSIA as an organization working in the field of breeding. This gives us the right to issue official conclusions on breeding stock, - said Krivoruchko.

Now six people work in the laboratory, in the future it is planned to expand the staff, because the requests for expertise from cattle breeders of the North Caucasus Federal District will only grow. The university will be able to prepare the necessary specialists on its own. Educational programs are constantly being improved here, and future microbiologists will be able to practice directly in the laboratory. .

By the way

On January 19-20, the all-Russian forum "Development of sheep breeding in the North Caucasus" was held on the territory of the exhibition center "MinVody EXPO" with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. At it, Leonid Khanukaev, HEAD of the Lamb direction of the Damate Group of Companies, said that in 2023 in the village of Udarnoy in Karachay-Cherkessia, the largest sheep fattening site in the North Caucasus for 50,000 heads will operate at full capacity. "To date, the first stage for 14,000 heads has been put into operation. In the near future, we will begin construction of new facilities," Khanukaev said.