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Department of Cattle Breeding

Manager
Piotr Wójcik, Ph.D., Prof. of NRIAP
e-mail: piotr.wojcik@iz.edu.pl
phone.: 666 081 221

Conducts research, research and development, implementation, dissemination works and training in the field of genetics and cattle breeding, concerning particularly

  • methods of the evaluation of cattle breeding and productive value, including improvement of selection indexes,
  • the improvement and use of biometric methods, which serve the improvement of cattle breeding and productive value,
  • relationships between functional and production traits,
  • the evaluation of polymorphism and gene expression of economically important production traits of farm animals,
  • the improvement of production, functional and reproductive traits of cattle,
  • the improvement of the rules of in situ cattle conservation using the most recent biotechnological achievements of reproduction,
  • the reintroduction of native and conservation cattle breeds into geographical regions of their natural origin,
  • the use of the methods of molecular genetics in the study of structure of cattle breeds population,
  • searching, identification and designing of point mutations and their implementation into practice,
  • the development of new methods of genotype imputations,
  • genetic factors which determine the quality of products of animal origin,
  • the evaluation of the quality of products obtained from cattle including biosafety,
  • the development of new, automatic systems of gathering and storing data coming from production and cattle breeding,
  • development and modification of breeding programmes.

Conducts the tasks in the field of

  • the evaluation of breeding and productive value of cattle and publication of the results,
  • processing data concerning the results of cattle performance evaluation,
  • keeping books and records of chosen cattle breeds, also those included in genetic resources conservation programmes.

In the field of cooperation in the realization of research and tasks, the Department

  • collects the data and administers databases including those on national cattle genetic resources (herd monitoring),
  • conducting and management of databases, carrying out the activity in the field of development and supervision over the realization of cattle genetic resources conservation programmes (accepting herds to participate in genetic resources conservation programmes, record-keeping),
  • develops forms of access to research results and the results of the evaluation of cattle breeding and productive value together with the cattle breeds included in conservation programmes,
  • cooperates with EuroGenomics, Interbull, VIT, LFL.

Provides technical supervision over functioning of the Meat Testing Station of Simmental Bulls in the Institute’s Odrzechowa Experimental Station Ltd.

Realizes the tasks resulting from the Convention on Biological Diversity ratified by the Republic of Poland in the field of protection and sustainable use of cattle genetic resources, consisting particularly in:

  • issuing breeding certificates and the certificates of including herds in genetic resources conservation programme,
  • cooperation with FAO in the field of the realization of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Resources,
  • cooperation with national and international organizations and breeders in the field of conservation and sustainable use of farm animal genetic resources.