Browsing by Author "Mugerwa, Swidiq"

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Dataset: SNP genotyping of indigenous goats of Uganda based on the Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 illumina chip
(2024-05-23) Nantongo, Ziwena; Birungi, Josephine; Obol Opiyo, Stephen; Shirima, Gabriel; Mugerwa, Swidiq; Mutai, Collins; Kyalo, Martina; Munishi, Linus; Agaba, Morris; Mrode, Raphael
Uganda's indigenous goats are characterised based on ethnic communities that raise them, average mature weight, and hair coat characteristics. Uganda's indigenous goats have been genotyped based on the Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 illumina chip to study their population structure and genetic characteristics. Information generated from this data is vital for the sustainable utilisation, development, and conservation of Uganda's goat genetic resources.
Dataset: SNP genotyping of indigenous goats of Uganda based on the Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 illumina chip
(Zenodo, 2024) Nantongo, Ziwena; Birungi, Josephine; Obol Opiyo, Stephen; Shirima, Gabriel; Mugerwa, Swidiq; Mutai, Collins; Kyalo, Martina; Munishi, Linus; Agaba, Morris; Mrode, Raphael
Uganda's indigenous goats are characterised based on ethnic communities that raise them, average mature weight, and hair coat characteristics. Uganda's indigenous goats have been genotyped based on the Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 illumina chip to study their population structure and genetic characteristics. Information generated from this data is vital for the sustainable utilisation, development, and conservation of Uganda's goat genetic resources. Methods The data was collected from genomic DNA extracted from ear tissue samples of 1032 indigenous goats from different agro-ecological zones of Uganda. The study aimed to characterise the genetic diversity, population structure and signatures of selection of indigenous goats in different agroecological zones of Uganda. Indigenous goats were identified in their known phenotypic/ ethnic classifications of Mubende, Kigezi and Small East African goats in all the 10 agroecologies. Ear tissue samples were collected from each goat using the allflex tissue sampling system that allows for no cross contamination as each sample self locks in a single use tube after it is collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from each sample using the TANBEAD automated DNA extraction system with the 6T2 total tissue DNA extraction kit. DNA samples were genotyped based on the Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 illumina chip. Data processing After genotyping, 59725 SNPs from 1032 genotypes were received in PLINK format. The data was opened in Tassel Version 5.2 and saved as VCF format for further processing. The near complete goat genome (ARS1) was used as reference to align all the SNPs to the right chromosomes and chromosome positions using R (version 4.3.3) software. The final data set was saved as a VCF file for analysis.
Variability in body weight and morphology of Uganda’s indigenous goat breeds across agroecological zones
(PLOS ONE, 2024-01-02) Nantongo, Ziwena; Agaba, Morris; Shirima, Gabriel; Mugerwa, Swidiq; Opiyo, Stephen; Mrode, Raphael; Birungi, Josephine; Munishi, Linus
Indigenous goat breeds in Uganda are classified based on average body size parameters and coat color. However, variations in the body size of animals may be influenced by several factors, including management and the environment. To understand the effect of the agroecological zone on the physical characteristics and live weight of Uganda’s indigenous goats, this study evaluated the body size characteristics of the three indigenous goat breeds of Uganda across ten agroecological zones. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in 323 households from the ten zones, where 1020 goats composed of three breeds (Mubende, Kigezi, and Small East African) were sampled and measured for body weight, linear body size, and age. We confirmed that Mubende and Kigezi goats from the original homeland had a higher mean body weight than reported in FAO reports. In addition, Mubende appeared to perform better in pastoral rangelands, with a higher mean body weight (38.1 kg) and body size being significantly higher (P < 0.0001) compared to other zones. The mean body weight for the Kigezi breed in the original homeland (34 kg) was comparable to those from Western Savannah grasslands and pastoral rangelands and less than that initially reported by FAO (30 kg). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the linear body size characteristics of Kigezi goats in the home zone of highland ranges relative to those found in other agroecological zones (P > 0.05). Although the Small East African goats were originally found in Northwestern Savannah grassland and Northeastern dryland zones, they performed poorly regarding mean body weight and body size characteristics in the former zone. In the Northwestern Savannah grasslands, the mean body weight (23.8 kg) was even less than that reported by FAO, which ranged between 25 and 30 kg. Finally, we confirmed that Mubende and Kigezi goats are significantly heavier than small East African goats (p ≤ 0.0001). The results of this study can be useful in designing precise management strategies to improve indigenous goat productivity in different environments in Uganda.