1.Discipline Overview and Research Fields Of Animal Science
1. Discipline Overview
Animal husbandry of Huazhong Agricultural University originated from the Animal Medicine of Hubei Farming School founded in 1898 by Zhidong Zhang, the Governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces. The postdoctoral research mobile station of animal husbandry was established in 2000 and the first-level doctoral program of the discipline was approved in 2006. The discipline was selected as a national “Double First-Class” construction discipline in 2017 and was awarded A+ in the fourth round of discipline assessment.
Animal husbandry of Huazhong Agricultural University originated from the Animal Medicine of Hubei Farming School founded in 1898 by Zhidong Zhang, the Governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces. The postdoctoral research mobile station of animal husbandry was established in 2000 and the first-level doctoral program of the discipline was approved in 2006. The discipline was selected as a national “Double First-Class” construction discipline in 2017 and was awarded A+ in the fourth round of discipline assessment.
2.Secondary Disciplines and Research Fields
2.1 Animal Genetic Breeding and Reproduction
Animal genetics, breeding and reproduction is a discipline that studies the genetics of major economic traits in animals and breeding and reproduction techniques with the aim of improving animal production performance and breeding efficiency. Animal genetics and breeding is a science that studies the principles of inheritance, expression, and variation of animal genetic material and its guidance for and application in animal genetic improvement and breeding practice. The research content mainly includes: animal structural genomics and functional genomics; genetic basis for the major economic traits in animals; evaluation, protection and utilization of animal genetic resources; principles and methods of animal breeding; establishment of breeding systems for valuable genetic resources; utilization of heterosis;animal breeding of new varieties; theories and methods in genome selection and mating choice decision,animal gene editing and transgenic breeding; big data technology and precision breeding; epigenetics;host-environment interaction, etc. Animal reproduction is a discipline that reveals the principles of animal reproduction and its regulatory mechanisms and formulates corresponding management to prevent and control reproductive failure, and develops new technologies to improve animal productivity. The research content mainly includes: reproductive theories and technologies including animal reproduction principles,reproductive endocrinology, animal cloning, sex identification and control, stem cell and embryo engineering; reproductive failure and reproductive management; interaction between nutrition and reproduction; environment and reproductive health.
2.2 Animal Nutrition and Feed Science
Animal nutrition and feed science is a discipline that studies nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism and utilization inside animals, feed nutrition assessment, feed processing and preparation, feed safety and quality control, and feeding management, both in terms of theories and technologies. The research content mainly includes: pig nutrition and regulation; poultry nutrition and regulation; ruminant nutrition and regulation; feed and safety; digital animal husbandry and nutrition; animal precise feeding;pet nutrition and feed; digestive tract microbes and animal health; epigenetics and nutrient metabolism,etc.
2.3 The Husbandry of Special Economic Animals
This is a comprehensive discipline that takes special economic animals with great economic value or potential value as research objects and undertakes the theoretical and technological research as well as product processing and development involving germplasm resources, domestication and reproduction, nutrition and feed, farming and management, etc. The research content mainly includes: special economic animal germplasm resources development and utilization; genetics, breeding and reproduction; nutrition and feed; faming management and product research and development; behavioral science and welfare;domestication and husbandry; intestinal microorganism resources mining and utilization; genome and evolution, etc.
2.4 Animal Production and Animal Husbandry Engineering
This is a comprehensive discipline that studies genetic improvement of important economic traits of livestock and poultry, and breeding technology of new breeds or specialized strains; standardization and digitalization of livestock and poultry farming; ecological animal husbandry and environmental control; as well as intelligent equipment and animal welfare. The research content mainly includes: genetic improvement of important economic traits of livestock and poultry, and breeding technology of new breeds or specialized strains; efficient and rapid reproduction expansion and intelligent artificial insemination technology; sterile (experimental) animal preparation, breeding and application; precision and intelligent feeding; precision and intelligent environmental control of livestock and poultry farms; intelligent management of different production sections; intelligent equipment development and system integration and other livestock and poultry intelligent farming technologies; the ecological animal husbandry and sustainable development technologies, such as ecological cycle farming; microorganism-animal-environment interactions; livestock and poultry farming pollution control and waste recycling and utilization; as well as advanced production technologies, such as the process and parameters for the main livestock and poultry large scale farming and standardized production; and modern livestock farm and rural revitalization planning.
