Search

When the livestock sector is considered an essential role in farmers' livelihood, and local breeds are still the critical component of animal breeding in Laos. Thus, there is a need to review the previous, current situation and prospects for Laos' livestock production. It aimed to study the different traits among the existing dominant local and improved livestock breeds (cattle, pig, and goat) and a more in-depth study on the livestock sector's previous evolving and prospects. Our findings revealed that the general trend of livestock population in Laos increased year-by-year for over 45 years, except for 1995 to 2000. It was decreased by almost 22% due to the new national strategy on economic revolution. The first foreign breeds were introduced into Laos, i.e., Large White, Landrace, and Duroc in 1980, Red Sindhi bulls in 1998, the frozen semen of Red Brahman 2003, and Bach Thao goats between 2001 to 2003. Unfortunately, many data are still not precise for introducing other foreign breeds like Boer goats, Thai Grey and Red Brahman. There were many missing data on the improvement of livestock breeds in Laos, including the local and improved breeds' reproductive and productive performance, which needs more study and research. We conclude that the semi-complex farm operation should be applied to improve livestock breeding and their productions in Laos.

The viewpoint of the recent cryopreservation techniques (CT) suggests the use of a reduced volume of cryopreservation solution, high concentration of cryoprotectants and ultra-rapid cooling and warming rates help to reduce cryo-injury and maximize the viability of the preserved animal genetic resources (AnGR). The CT had now become widely accepted as one of the best methods of choice for the ex-situ conservation of AnGR due to its high success rate recorded and no-invasive nature as compared to the conventional slow rate freezing (CSRF). Rapid advances and wide acceptability of the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART’s) particularly artificial insemination (AI) in animal breeding had resulted in a greater loss of a large number of good quality genes in virtually almost all the native breeds of animals across the globe. Small ruminant (SR) animals are not an exception in such present predicaments situation of erosion and dilution of the valuable AnGR among the native breeds. As a result of this, 148 and 16 breeds of sheep and goats respectively have already become extinct in Europe and the Caucasus. In view of the aforementioned situation, the present review aimed at exploring some of the current states of development, roles played and potentials of CT in the conservation of SR genes and genome for the immediate and future breeding purposes for sustainable development. It basically covers; animal genetic resource, the need to conserve AnGR, tools for ex situ in vitro conservation of AnGR and recent developments in breeding and cryopreservation of SR AnGR. Cryopreservation is playing a pivotal role in ex-situ gene conservation of AnGR. Decline in genetic diversity among SR breed population was high in Europe and the Caucasus. There is therefore, need for improvent on current stringent measures on conservation of AnGR in this region of the world.

The semen of domestic mammals is conventionally collected with an artificial vagina (AV) for artificial insemination (AI) or for short- or long-term storage. However, the procedure has certain drawbacks: animal training is not feasible in extensive animal care systems nor among wild species, as the trained animals sometimes fail to mount. Hence, there is a need for alternative semen collection methods. Electroejaculation (EEJ) and epididymal sperm recovery (ESR) are the two effective alternatives to AV. However, in recent years, animal welfare campaigners have called for the ban, in certain EU countries, of EEJ due to its inhumane nature. In this review, alternative methods of sperm collection (by EEJ and ESR, their qualities, and their freezing techniques) are highlighted, as well as the effects of EEJ on pre-freeze and post-thaw ram sperm quality parameters and the animal welfare progress made in EEJ between the 20th and 21st centuries. Additionally, the techniques for enhancing post-thaw sperm quality prior to freezing and for the freezing of EEJ and ESR spermatozoa are explored. ESR and EEJ are reliable alternatives to AV on certain occasions. EEJ is ideal for semen collection in wild or untrained animals, breeding soundness examinations, collection outside of the breeding season, and culling. At the same time, ESR is ideal in cases of castration, accidental death of elite sire, or postmortem for gene conservation purposes or assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) studies.