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Brazil Aims for Most Tender Beef |
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By Mario Osava*
In 18 months, Brazilian scientists expect to have figured out the genetic puzzle that will allow their country to raise cattle that are more resistant to disease and produce better beef.
RIO DE JANEIRO - Cattle that are more disease resistant, mature earlier and produce beef that is tenderer is the aim of the Cattle Functional Genome Project, which could give Brazil the technological footing for future leadership on the global beef market.
Genetic research has seen great advances in Brazil since 1997, with the decoding of the gene sequences of several bacteria and plants of agricultural importance, as well as the genetic origins of some types of human cancers.
But this project marks a new strategy because it is intended to identify the functions of genes in the livestock industry, project coordinator Luiz Lehmann Coutinho, professor at the agricultural graduate school of the University of Sao Paulo, said in a conversation with Tierramérica.
In the relatively short timeframe of 18 months, the goal is to complete all necessary stages for producing genetic knowledge that can be patented and utilized in the cattle-raising sector.
"This changes the dynamic and the focus" of research, looking for practical results very quickly, Coutinho explained.
As such, the project's scientists are not after decoding the millions of chemical sequences in DNA of the cow, which would require the genome sequences.
They are centering on just three percent of the cattle genome, selecting the areas associated with reproduction, the immune system and muscle (meat) quality. Although these tissues are known, they do not hold the genes that determine the desired characteristics, noted the project coordinator.
If this ambitious project is successful, it would mean higher productivity and improved quality for beef, an economic sector in which Brazil could then better compete with other major beef producers, more so than in dairy, Coutinho said.
The research will focus exclusively on the 'nelore' breed of cattle, originally from India and well adapted to tropical climates. Nelore represent 80 percent of the 170 million head of cattle in Brazil, whether purebred or mixed breed.
The genetic research could help overcome the limitations of the nelore and allow Brazil to become a world leader in beef production, says Jovelino Mineiro, owner of Central Bela Vista Genetica Bovina, a firm that is financing the project on equal footing with the State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), at a cost of one million dollars.
Nelore beef is not as tender as that of the cattle breeds of Argentina or Europe. And the cow does not reproduce until she is 2.5 or three years old, which is a disadvantage in relation to the two years of the European breeds, Mineiro pointed out.
Coutinho said that one of the goals of the project is to produce cows that reach sexual maturity as early as the competing breeds.
There are cattle in Brazil with the desired genetic capabilities, but their value is undercut by adverse climate, food and living conditions.
Greater genetic knowledge of the nelore will make selection more efficient, speeding up reproduction, he said.
Identifying the genes of early sexual maturity is of great interest to Central Bela Vista, one of Brazil's leading suppliers of cattle semen and embryos.
The project research will also attempt to identify genes that would help select cattle that are naturally more resistant to disease. This would ultimately reduce the needs for medications and anti-parasite drugs, making the beef itself healthier for human consumers, free of the chemicals that often bloc trade on international markets, said Coutinho.
As for meat quality, the ideal would be a fat content that allows the beef to remain soft when refrigerated and to maintain the appropriate taste and tenderness when cooked.
But this project will not include processes of transgenesis, that is, there will be no introduction of genes from other species, clarified the project coordinator.
Coutinho said it is an "interesting challenge" to embark on a joint initiative involving a private company, the state technology institute and universities, which are home to 20 laboratories entrusted with the research.
* Mario Osava is an IPS correspondent.
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