Recent discoveries that high prolificacy in sheep carrying the Booroola gene (FecB) is the result of a mutation in the BMPIB receptor and high prolificacy in Inverdale sheep (FecX(I)) is the result of a mutation in the BMP15 oocyte-derived growth factor gene have allowed direct marker tests to be developed for FecB and FecX(I). These tests were carried out in seven strains of sheep (Javanese, Thoka, Woodlands, Olkuska, Lacaune, Belclare, and Cambridge) in which inheritance patterns have suggested the presence of major genes affecting prolificacy and in the prolific Garole sheep of India, which have been proposed as the ancestor of Australian Booroola Merinos. The FecB mutation was found in the Garole and Javanese sheep but not in Thoka, Woodlands, Olkuska, Lacaune, Belclare, and Cambridge sheep. None of the sheep tested had the FecX(I) mutation. These findings present strong evidence to support historical records that the Booroola gene was introduced into Australian flocks from Garole (Bengal) sheep in the late 18th century. It is unknown whether Javanese Thin-tailed sheep acquired the Booroola gene directly from Garole sheep from India or via Merinos from Australia. The DNA mutation test for FecB will enable breeding plans to be developed that allow the most effective use of this gene in Garole and Javanese Thin-tailed sheep and their crosses.

SUMMARYIn the Sundarbans area of West Bengal (India) there is a breed of microsheep (adult weight 10–14 Kg.) with a very high prolificacy (227%).This breed may be a valuable source of prolificacy for sheep in India. There are also reasons to believe that it is resistant to footrot. A conservation policy is necessary to preserve this hitherto neglected animal genetic resource.

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Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop in acreage and fourth most important in production in the world and is the dietary staple of more than 500 million people in 100 countries, primarily in the developing world. The grain is mainly used as animal feed in the developed world. Sorghum is mostly grown in the semi-arid tropics of the world under dryland conditions with low and erratic rainfall. Though it can survive on about 300 mm rainfall, it responds favourably to irrigation.As much as 50% of farmers' income from the sorghum crop in semi-arid tropics of India reportedly comes from the sale of the crop residue at urban fodder markets. In 2009 in India grain sorghum was planted on 7.7 million hectares and produced about 7.5 million tonnes of grain, with a low productivity of one-fourth that in the United States of America. Sorghum is also a good source of green fodder due to its quick growth, high yield and good quality. Therefore, grain sorghum is already being used as a dual-purpose crop in most areas of India.Sorghum with sugar-rich juicy stalks (called sweet sorghum) is emerging as an important biofuel crop. Sweet sorghum has been studied for ethanol production and found to have lower crop production inputs of energy per litre of potential ethanol than sugar beet, fodder beet, corn and sugarcane. Canopy water use efficiency of sweet sorghum has been found to be higher than that of other C 4 crops like maize and grain sorghum under both well-watered and water-stress conditions. However, though it is a well-known crop which can supply food, fodder, fiber and fuel it has not been studied much as a fodder crop.Sweet sorghum probably differs from grain sorghum by only a few genes that control plant height and the presence of juice in stem and sugar in the juice. Substantial genotype variation has been reported to exist in fodder quantity and quality among different cultivars of sweet sorghum. There is plenty of genetic variation for all the component traits of sugar yield, stalk girth, days to 50% flowering and stalk-stover ratio. Also heritability is high for plant height, flowering time and test weight. Several brown mid-rib mutations have been reported in sweet sorghum which increase the digestibility of the plants by reducing the lignin content. Therefore breeders can manipulate the genes in the sweet sorghum plant to increase animal productivity provided specific breeding objectives are established. Use of molecular markers and quantitative trait loci are expected to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of sweet sorghum improvement.Sweet sorghum hybrids have been reported to produce higher sugar yield (21%) and higher grain yield (15%) than non-sweet sorghum hybrids in the rainy season indicating that there is no trade-off between grain and sugar. Even the quality of stover was often the best in genotypes with higher grain yields. The already standardized package of agronomic practices for grain sorghum can be applicable to sweet sorghum. However, improved region-specif...

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