30 November 2009
The event was organised by the Animal and Veterinary Science (AVS) Department at SQU’s College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences as part of project to characterise, evaluate and conserve indigenous animal genetic resources in the country.
Speakers included Professor Osman Mahgoub from AVS, Dr Ali Hussein Al Lawati from Plant Research Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Dr Hamza Babiker from the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences at SQU.
After the workshop, Dr Albano Beja-Pereira from Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal, trained the researchers and technicians on molecular biology techniques related to animal genetic resources.
Mahgoub, the Principal Investigator of the research project, stressed that conservation of indigenous genetic resources was vital for the development of new animal species and improvement of existing ones. “Oman has noticeable biodiversity in local animals that are adapted to the unique and diverse topographic and climatic conditions of the Sultanate,” he said, adding: “As in many developing countries, the sultanate has introduced several modern animal species, bred and selected in other countries, into the research programmes and released to farmers. This involves the replacement of the generally viable lower yielding breeds with introduced ones.”
Mahgoub added that little work had been carried out to identify or conserve these local breeds which, he noted were well adapted to Omani conditions.
