Documentation of Animal Genetic Resources and identification of potential populations in Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in the North East region of India; a large part of the state's territory falls within the temperate and sub-temperate climate zones. The state is a hotspot of the floral and faunal diversity, including Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) for food and agriculture. Arunachal Pradesh, although it has the highest number of animals per capita in the country, has a large proportion of non-descript livestock. To document all AnGR and identify homogenous potential breeds, we surveyed five different regions of the state. Among the 12 farm animal species in the state, a pattern of region-specific species was observed. Further, livestock distribution across regions is uneven; two-thirds of the population was concentrated in seven districts of the state's lower belt. Five new homogeneous populations, namely Monyul Bah and Subansiri cattle, Arunachali goat and chicken, and Eki dog, were identified in various regions of the state. This documentation would be important for assessing AnGR diversity and for formulating a suitable policy for the state's genetic improvement programmes. Further, newly identified indigenous populations may be recognised as indigenous breeds, thereby strengthening the country's sovereignty over native germplasm.