Development of the theoretical basis of preservation of farm animal genofund in heritage of professor M. A. Kravchenko

Abstract

The article shows that biodiversity preservation is one of the global modern problems, which has resulted in the expansion of a limited number of commercially produced high-yielding breeds, and the decline in native and local breeds that possess valuable genetic complexes. Developing a strategy for the preservation of farm animals is impossible without the study and creative use of the work of foreign and domestic scientists in the general context of continuity. Particular contribution to the development of theoretical and methodological foundations for the preservation of local cattle breeds as carriers of unique genes and gene complexes was made by Professor M. A. Kravchenko, which actualizes the problem of studying and creative use of his scientific developments on the issues of rational use of tribal resources of Ukraine. Some aspects of the scientific activity of Professor M. A. Kravchenko, generalization and systematization of his creative achievements have found its place in scientific publications by V. P. Burkat, K. A. Naydenko, V. P. Shulga. However, due attention has not been paid so far to the study of the scientific development of a scientist for the conservation of Simmental and White-Headed Ukrainian cattle breed, which are now endangered. The purpose of the study is to summarize the theoretical and methodological approaches proposed by Professor M. A. Kravchenko to solve the problem of preservation of the gene pool of breeds, to outline the prospects of its use at the current stage of animal husbandry. The research is based on the application of general scientific, structural-functional and historical methods. The source base of the research is published and unpublished materials, archival documents. On the basis of the analysis of the scientific inheritance of Professor M. A. Kravchenko, it is established that the main block of his scientific developments is devoted to the breeding improvement of the Simmental breed. In particular, scientists have developed and implemented the basics of planning in the Simmental breeding farms, improved methods of genealogical analysis and breeding along the lines, justified methods of selection of animals based on the study of their compatibility. M. A. Kravchenko has developed the basics of intensive use of animals with record productivity, transforming their valuable features into a group. He has researched the specificity of the genesis of the Simmental breed, sought its official recognition as the main domestic breed of dairy and beef direction of productivity, first raised the problem of its coexistence with related Sychivska breed. The authors summarized the schemes for breeding White-Headed Ukrainian breed proposed by scientist, aimed at increasing its productive potential and vitality. The contribution of M. A. Kravchenko to the development of a program for the creation of a specialized meat cattle breeding industry in Ukraine, the removal of domestic specialized meat breeds and types are considered. The scientist argued that the main obstacle in breeding work with herds of White-Headed Ukrainian breed was its artificial distribution by size in the organization of the state breeding book. Due to this, exchange by breeding material between the two leading breeding farms – the Kyiv Research Station of Animal Husbandry "Terezine" and the Antonine Breeding Plant didn`t make. Insufficient numbers of White-Headed Ukrainian breeds led to forced mating, which negatively affected the rate of quality improvement of the breeding herd. In turn, due to the small number of breeding farms and the closed breeding of the White-Headed Ukrainian breed, the animals were less viable than the Simmental breed. In his scientific works scientist outlined ways of breeding improvement of this breed. Kravchenko M. A.  was the main ideologist of the creation of specialized beef cattle breeding in the USSR, which made it possible to assimilate the valuable inheritance of domestic Simmental and Grey Ukrainian breeds in the newly created specialized breeds of beef productivity. He participated in the substantiation of the planned standard indicators of domestic beef cattle, the choice of source breeds of foreign breeding during his trips to Mongolia, France, Italy, Switzerland. The new breeding achievement, the Ukrainian Beef breed, was tested on July 30, 1993, in accordance with an order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Ukraine.The prospects for further research are to develop specific recommendations for the use of most important scientific developments  by Professor M. A. Kravchenko to preserve local livestock breeds and the rational use of breeding resources in Ukraine.