Improving meat and milk production of fat-tail sheep of the Middle East through breeding

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Anne Valle Zárate
• Co-Applicants: Dr. Ahed Abdulkhaliq; Dr. Elisha Gootwine; Dr. Khaleel Ibrahim Za I Jawasreh
• Subject Area: Animal Breeding, Animal Nutrition, Animal Husbandry
• Term: from 2008 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 54411839

Sheep production in the Middle East has originally been based on the local Awassi, a fattailed sheep with low performance but good adaptation to unfavourable environmental conditions. Increasing population density and scarcity of resources as well as changing market conditions have heightened the pressure for sheep production intensification, resulting in the development of improved sheep strains and breeds. Improved Awassi strains were developed and have been utilised under intensive production conditions, especially in Israel. However, the productive adaptability of improved Awassi strains under different production conditions and intensity levels has not been systematically evaluated so far. This project aims to develop breeding strategies for milk and meat production with fat-tailed Awassi sheep under the specific conditions of Middle Eastern countries, specifically Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. This is done by modelling/computer simulation, based on input data collected in the project on the performance of different Awassi genotypes under specific local conditions and production intensity levels, on genetic parameters estimated from collected data, and on socio-economic traits of prevailing farming systems. By enabling scientific cooperation between the three Middle East countries, the project intends to contribute to the process of building peace in the region; by having the German scientists involved in this process, the project intents to contribute to the conscious raising in the European society about the nature and complexity of this process and the awareness about the own role in it.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel, Jordan, Palestine
• Participating Person: Dr. Petra Herold