Comprehensive research launched to develop the genetic mapping of the strategically important Karabakh and Dilbaz National Horse breeds for Azerbaijan.
“Tehsil365” reports that the project is being implemented on the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the support of Baku State University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The research involves partnerships with the Scientific Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey, as well as the companies Letgen Biotechnology and Bayramlı Group.
The primary goal of the project is to preserve the genetic heritage of the Karabakh and Dilbaz horse breeds, to investigate their structural and functional diversity at the genomic level, and to contribute scientifically to the development of future selection and breeding programs.
In the initial phase, phenotypic assessments were conducted at various equestrian farms with the participation of local specialists and invited experts from Turkey. Blood and hair samples were collected from the horses.
Analysis of these samples has defined scientific and practical objectives. For the first time, a complete genomic map of the Karabakh and Dilbaz horse breeds will be created. The project also plans to apply marker-assisted selection (MAS) technologies in breeding and selection processes, enhance selection efficiency by identifying relationships between genotype and phenotype, preserve genetic data in an electronic database (genebank), and integrate research results into international scientific databases, including NCBI.