THE STATUS OF TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH ANIMAL BREEDS AND PLANT VARIETIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Within the farming sector there is a huge variation within species, the great array of different crop varieties for instance, or the range of cattle breeds. Often these varieties and breeds are particular to certain locations or environments, having developed particular characteristics that make them well adapted to local conditions and climates. However, for decades there has been a trend away from using this variety, in favour of a small number of breeds that perform more uniformly. In this way, just a handful of varieties and breeds now account for the majority of agricultural production in Scotland. There are instances of just c.10% remaining varieties of particular crops, the rest having been lost.
2. Within the livestock sector, the trend has also been towards greater uniformity along with greater productivity. In the 1960's foreign breeds, particularly from continental Europe were introduced. The numbers of individuals within traditional breeds have declined to such an extent that they have been classified by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as either "minority" or "rare". The recent foot and mouth outbreak highlighted the vulnerability of some of these breeds to extinction. When the numbers of individuals are small and they are concentrated within a relatively small geographical area, the risk of entire breeds being lost is a very real one.
3. It is also becoming clear that certain farming practices are likely to be beneficial to the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity. The presence of agriculture can create ecological niches and help to maintain food chains, to the benefit of wildlife. However modern breeds of livestock and varieties of crops and the associated management practices may not always be appropriate for the management of biodiversity. This is particularly true of marginal lands in the uplands. There is an increasing realisation that traditional breeds and varieties may have much to offer in terms of maintaining farming in these areas.
4. The aim of this scoping study was to evaluate the effects on Scottish biodiversity of changes in the use of traditional breeds and varieties. The overall objectives were:
a) The evaluation of the importance of genetic loss from the reduction in use of these breeds and varieties, for example, the loss of unusual characteristics that might have been of particular local use.
b) An assessment of the impacts of reduction in the ability to conduct further breeding or research on rare and traditional varieties and breeds.
c) Identification of the loss of certain farming techniques associated with particular varieties and breeds.
d) An assessment of possible losses of biodiversity associated with reduction in the use of these breeds and varieties and the farming systems associated with them.
The specific objectives of the project were to provide:
1. A review of relevant research.
2. A list of organisations and individuals holding relevant genetic resources or information.
3. A review of ongoing genetic conservation projects.
4. A review of rare and traditional genotypes of livestock and crops on Scottish farms including their distribution.
5. A summary of the size and complexity of the genetic resource.
6. An overview of the contribution made to biodiversity of maintaining the traditional farming systems associated with particular breeds and varieties.
7. A detailed review of the contribution made to biodiversity of one traditional crop variety (Scots Bere) and one traditional breed of livestock (Blue Grey cows).
8. Recommendations for further work, for further research, practical developments and identification of opportunities for promotion of traditional breeds and varieties associated farming systems.
The project was divided into two parts - a livestock component (Part 1) and a crop component (Part 2).
Part 1 - Livestock
1. The livestock component concentrated on rare and traditional Scottish breeds of sheep and cattle as there are no distinctly Scottish pig breeds.
2. A review of the research which has been conducted on the role and performance of rare and traditional Scottish breeds of sheep and cattle indicated that virtually no research has been conducted on the role of these breeds in maintenance or enhancement of biodiversity, nor on their wider socio-economic role.
3. The performance of these breeds in terms of their live-weight gain, reproductive rate, milk yield etc. is fairly well documented, although few direct comparisons with other breeds have been undertaken. In many cases the efficiency with which traditional breeds of cattle utilise feed for carcass growth is as good or even better than Continental breeds.
4. A number of organisations hold information on these genetic resources, namely the breed societies and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A number of projects are attempting to conserve the rare and traditional Scottish breeds, but there is no mechanism by which these activities are co-ordinated.
5. The numbers of individuals of specifically Scottish breeds of sheep and cattle were estimated from a number of sources, including the British Cattle Movement Service, breed societies and surveys.
6. Some breed societies hold good records, including historical records, of numbers of animals, while others do not. Traditional Scottish cattle breeds for which historical records are available generally show a decline in numbers over the past few decades, with the exception of the Aberdeen Angus. The numbers of the mainstream Scottish sheep breeds in the UK have increased over the past few decades, in line with the general increase in sheep numbers. The status of the rare and minority sheep breeds is less certain.
7. For cattle the British Cattle Movement Service holds data on the numbers of each breed in each county. This provides a valuable source of data for identifying the location of different breeds and highlights the strong geographic concentration of some breeds in certain regions, exposing those breeds to increased risk of a catastrophic fall in numbers because of disease.
8. For sheep, no equivalent data is available and so the vulnerability of some entire breeds to an outbreak of disease e.g. Foot and Mouth, is not known.
9. An overview of the size and complexity of the genetic resource of Scottish breeds of sheep and cattle is given. A detailed review of the breed structure of each breed is beyond the scope of this study, but there are indications that the breed structures of some breeds make them heavily dependent on only a few herds for replacement stock, thus narrowing their genetic base.
10. A case study of the Blue Grey cow revealed that although considerable information is available on the performance of this genotype in relation to other breeds and crosses, little is known as to whether it contributes to wider biodiversity in a way which is different to other breeds.
11. Virtually no research has been conducted on the role of rare and traditional breeds in farming systems or the extent to which these breeds contribute to biodiversity.
12. A workshop convened to explore this (at which a range of interested parties contributed) indicated that there was anecdotal evidence to suggest that rare and traditional breeds had attributes that made them particularly suited to some production systems, but there is little independent evidence to support these claims.
Recommendations for further work
1. A full and systematic review of the numbers and geographical distribution of different breeds of sheep should be undertaken as a matter of urgency.
2. There is a need to review breed improvement programmes in Scottish breeds and to assess their actual or potential impact on genetic diversity.
3. Consideration should be given to a review of Scottish breeds outwith Scotland and the UK. Opportunities for the use of Scottish Breeds outwith Scotland should be explored.
Research requirements
Research requirements were identified firstly, in relation to the conservation of the animal genetic resource and secondly on farming systems and wider biodiversity.
In the area of conservation of genetic resources research is needed on:
a) Development of registration management software, ideally designed to help make breeding decisions.
b) The genetic affinities of Scottish sheep breeds. Coupled with this there is also a need to conduct research on the extent and degree of introgression of genes from other populations.
c) Development of the most cost effective way of operating cryopreservation programmes for collection and storage of embryos and semen for conservation of genetic resources.
d) The nature and genetic consequences of population structures of the Scottish breeds.
Virtually no research has been conducted on the role of rare and traditional Scottish breeds in farming systems, their impact on wider biodiversity and their socio-economic role.
Specific areas on which research is needed are:
a) Differences in foraging behaviour of different breeds and potential effects on vegetation and other aspects of biodiversity.
b) A better understanding and quantification of the characteristics of breeds to explain how these characteristics appear to suit particular production systems. There is also a requirement to identify if particular breeds are suited to systems which use species-rich pastures, including whether hay making can be integrated into farming systems with traditional breeds and methods for enabling species-rich swards at a more advanced physiological stage than is usually used for silage.
c) The effects on vegetation of year-round grazing rather than summer-only grazing, since some breeds of cattle may be more suited to out-wintering.
d) Systems-level research is needed to identify the potential gains in biodiversity that could be achieved from more mixed farming systems, especially in the uplands, and how rare or traditional breeds may contribute to this.
e) Identification of differences in susceptibility of different Scottish breeds to internal, and perhaps external parasites to identify if some breeds are more resistant to parasites than others and require less use of anthelmintics.
f) The socio-economic role and importance of such breeds.
Practical developments
1. Ways of providing more precise definitions of the breeds and crosses entered in the British Cattle Movement Service data base should be explored.
2. Urgent consideration should be given by Government to ways of collecting information on the numbers and spatial distribution of different breeds of sheep so that vulnerability to catastrophic events such as disease outbreaks can be assessed.
3. As part of its responsibility under the Convention on Biodiversity, Government should consider how better co-ordination may be achieved in genetic conservation schemes.
4. A greater degree of co-operation between farmers is needed, especially for finishing and marketing rare and traditional breeds.
Opportunities for promotion of rare and traditional breeds and associated farming systems
1. Further opportunities for the use of Scottish breeds outwith Scotland should be explored.
2. Information about the performance of different sheep breeds and their crosses should be made available so that market niches can be developed.
3. There may be a case for providing enhanced levels of support to farms that keep rare or traditional breeds in order to assist in the preservation of these genetic resources.
4. An in-depth study of the opportunities for marketing products from rare and traditional breeds should be undertaken. Practical support from Government and other agencies (eg. local authorities, local enterprise companies) to initiate marketing schemes would not only help with the conservation of traditional and rare breeds but also encourage rural employment and development.
Part 2 - Crops
1. The crop component of the project concentrated on barley and oats with a brief overview of other crops. Special attention was paid to Scots Bere.
2. The historical changes in the areas of different crops in Scotland are documented. In the last few decades there has been a decline in the areas of oats, and an increase in barley and in wheat.
3. There has been a continual change in the cultivars of oats and barley used as new varieties are produced, displacing older varieties from the National and Recommended Lists. For varieties to be placed on the National List they have to perform well over the whole of the UK and this mitigates against the recognition of specific regional adaptation.
4. Research on Scots Bere, a six-row barley, traditionally grown in Scotland in the 18 th and 19 th centuries but now grown on only 5-15ha in Caithness and Orkney each year, has shown that not only is it acid tolerant, but it has a number of other characteristics. It has high diastatic power and alpha-amylase activity.
5. Scots Bere has proved useful in research on the control of traits important in Scottish barley, especially early heading and maturity.
6. A number of collections around the world hold Scottish cultivars. The most important is that in the John Innes Centre, Norwich, but there are also collections in Sweden, Germany, Poland and the USA which hold Scottish cultivars of barley and oats.
7. There are many organisations concerned with conservation of cereal germplasm mainly co-ordinated by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute in Rome.
8. The role of traditional Scottish cultivars on wider biodiversity is not well documented, although cereal crops provide a habitat and food for a range of taxa.
Recommendations for further work
1. A survey of genetic variation related to the tolerance of Scots Bere to acid soil should be undertaken.
2. Genetic variation for nitrogen use efficiency in Scots Bere compared to other varieties should be studied.
3. The nutrient value of Scots Bere for animal feed and human food should be quantified.
4. The practical implications of using composite crossing techniques in tandem with modern genetics to develop varieties suitable for low-input systems should be examined.
Research requirements
1. There is a need for further research into the effect that traditional barley and oat cultivars have on the biodiversity of the environments in which they are grown.
2. There needs to be a quantification of the traits traditional cultivars exhibit in relation to wider biodiversity.
3. Research is needed on how best to manage cereals, particularly diploid oats for grazing and silage, to maximise biodiversity.
4. Research should be conducted on the development of a Scottish Seed Conservation mix to encourage farmland birds.
5. Investigations need to be carried out on the susceptibility of traditional barley and oat cultivars to diseases such as mildew and smut.
6. There needs to be a general review of plant breeding programmes, to identify if important traits have been lost as a consequence of selection for traits of use in modern systems.
7. Consideration should be given to using new breeding techniques to move traits from tall, six-row ear types of barley to the shorter two-row types widely used in Scotland.
Practical developments
1. Encouragement needs to be given to farmers to co-operate with each other on seed production and the development of new cultivars.
2. Further work is needed to look at objective techniques of prioritisation of seed conservation - the lack of a cereal gene bank in Scotland hampers cereal research.
Opportunities for promotion of rare and traditional varieties and associated farming systems
1. Aspects of the performance of traditional cultivars need to be made available to allow their market niches to be identified.
2. There is an opportunity for greater promotion of local cereal-based products, based on traditional varieties.
3. There are opportunities to market the products of traditional cultivars by modern methods e.g.. internet-based sales, development of more efficient distribution systems, supermarket promotion.