4 - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture

National Workshop-cum-Training on Bioinformatia and InfomatJon Management in Aquaculture
STATISTICAL PROGRAMS I N QUANTITATIVE
GENETICS AND SELECTIVE BREEDING STUDIES
Kanta Das ~ahapatra'
India possesses rich fish germplasm resources, accounting for about one-tenth of
the 20,000 and odd species of fish known in the world. The Ganga network of
rivers in the North, the Brahmaputra in the East, the Sutlej, the Narmada & the
Tapti in the West and the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery
in the South are very rich sources, harbouring bulk of the important fish fauna.
Apart from the already existing different aquaculture practices In the country
such as extensive, intensive and semi-intensive farming systems, the availability
of huge quantities of organic wastes from plants and animals gives scope for
integrated fish farming.
Exploitation of genetic potentials of carps has been initiated seriously from early
1980s particularly through genome manipulations and later through selective
breeding from 1990s, to add to the already developed culture technologies, for
further enhancement of fish production in the country.
Selective breeding in increasing production level is well established in agr~culture
and animal husbandry. Today the high yielding crops and land animals are totally
depending on genetically improved domesticated breeds. This has not been true
for aquaculture. Proper exploitation and utilization of genetic potential is lacking
in aquaculture. Less than 5% of the total output of the aquaculture production is
coming from improved breeding progamme. Aquaculture species are thus
genetically much closer to their wild counter part than the land animals and plant
species. During the last few years it has been well documented that high
selection response can be obtained in fish as well as in shell fish for economic
important traits like growth, disease resistance, flesh quality etc.
Carp occupies very important position in freshwater aquaculture. 95% of world
production of carps is coming from Asia only. Annual growth rate of carps is 1l0/o
and most of the low-income groups consume the carps. Very little genetic
improvement work has been carried out in carps. Targets for genetic
improvement of carps is complex because of the diversity of species, farming
system, socioeconomic scenarios and longer generation period. However, various
commercially important traits can be improved through selective breeding in
carps.
Different statistical program can be used to analyze data in an effective manner.
Some of the programs are discussed here which can be applied in quantitative
Correspondence: Kanta Das Mahapatrra, Principal Scientist, Central Institute of Fresh
Water Aquaculture, Kausalyaganga, Buubaneswar-751002, Orissa: Email
kdrnahapatra@yahoo.co.in