Publications by authors named "Patrick M Kgwatalala"
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers interviewed 105 households and used statistical analysis to determine the most important traits for sheep production, revealing that primarily older males with basic education manage these sheep.
- * Findings showed that in most districts, farmers preferred rams with better fitness traits, while in one district, rams were chosen mainly for their size, underscoring the need for tailored breeding programs for Tswana sheep.
Article Synopsis
- * A study surveyed 71 indigenous pig farmers across 15 villages in southern Botswana to assess the population (620 pigs) and management practices.
- * The findings reveal that Tswana pigs are primarily managed by middle-aged and elderly women with limited education and are kept for cash and home use, but farmers lack knowledge about pig health and diseases.
Article Synopsis
- A study in southeast Botswana found high Anaplasma infection rates in both beef (91%) and dairy (31%) cattle using two testing methods: cELISA and PCR.
- There was a significant difference in prevalence between beef and dairy cattle as determined by the PCR method, with beef cattle showing nearly double the infection rate.
- Overall, Anaplasma infections were widespread and endemic in the region, suggesting the need for more research to identify the specific strains infecting cattle herds.
Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) catalyzes the synthesis of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from their saturated counterparts in the mammary gland and adipose tissue of ruminant animals. We hypothesize that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SCD gene account for some of the differences in SCD activity, and consequently for some of the variations in CLA and MUFA content of milk fat between Holsteins and Jersey cows and within these two breeds. We analyzed the open reading frame of the SCD gene of 44 Holsteins and 48 Jerseys for SNPs by sequencing.
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