Can proper domestication techniques lead to better agricultural work?

Camelia Bhattacharyya, Amity University Kolkata

India, a land that depends on agriculture is also a country that has yet to walk a long way to be known as a developed country. Thus, we depend mostly on cattle and not on machines for farming purposes. The water buffalo is one such cattle breed which is of importance not only in the field but also for milk and meat; thus proper breeding and domestication are of utmost importance. 

In recent research, the genome of 79 water buffalos was sequenced keeping in mind that the difference in the phenotypes shown the diversity of the species all over India. This study not only showed the variation in the genotypes of the animals depending on the region they were domesticated but also showed the proof of mutations which have been carried on genetically from generation after generation while domesticating the buffalos. There were also proofs of better and more useful (when speaking of the exploitation of animals by humans) genotypes as well as the phenotypes of the animals which are a result of cross-breeding. 

Thus to practice proper domestication, a study of the genotypes is important as it helps in showing the torch towards which method of cross-breeding might help in increasing milk and meat production as well as the strength of the animals in the agricultural lands.  

Source:Dutta, P., Talenti, A., Young, R. et al. Whole-genome analysis of water buffalo and global cattle breeds highlights convergent signatures of domestication. Nat Commun 11, 4739 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18550-1

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