In order to avoid interference from nuclear copies of mitochondrial DNA (numts), mtDNA of the white Roman goose (domestic goose) was extracted from liver mitochondria. The mtDNA control region was amplified using a long PCR strategy and then sequenced. Neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and maximum-likelihood approaches were implemented using the 1,177 bp mtDNA control region sequences to compute the phylogenetic relationships of the domestic goose with other geese. The resulting identity values for the white Roman geese were 99.1% (1,166/1,177) with western graylag geese and 98.8% (1,163/1,177) with eastern graylag geese. In molecular phylogenetic trees, the white Roman goose was grouped in the graylag lineage, indicating that the white Roman goose came from the graylag goose (Anser anser). Thus, the scientific name of the white Roman goose should be Anser anser 'White Roman.'

1. New lighting programmes were designed to change the pattern of goose reproduction, based on the response of predictable avian photoperiodic stimulation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a long photoperiod of 20L on shifting goose reproduction to the non-breeding season in an open housing system. 2. Eighty mature White Roman geese were randomly allocated into 4 groups (male:female = 1:4). The supplemental lighting programmes with a daily photoperiod of 20 h were initiated on 22 November and withdrawn when 90% of geese were moulting in the treatment groups. Artificial light intensities of 220, 120 and 20 lux were provided to experimental groups A, B and C, respectively. In contrast, the geese in control group D were kept under natural lighting conditions throughout this study. 3. The annual reproductive curves of all the experimental groups consisted of two separate laying periods. The first period was induced by the supplemental lighting programme while the second was induced by the naturally increasing photoperiod in this subtropical region. The first laying period of the experimental groups occurred in the breeding season, and the second was relocated to the non-breeding season. 4. The supplemental lighting could shift the laying periods of geese to the non-breeding season and had no significant effect on annual reproductive performance. The supplemental light programmes described here were able to manipulate the reproductive season of geese reared in open houses, which would be of practical value.