Italian autochthonous pigs: progress report and research perspectives.

Characteristics and research perspectives of autochthonous Italian pig are summarised and discussed. Nowadays only six breeds are still farmed (Mora Romagnola, Cinta Senese, Casertana, Calabrese, Nero Siciliano and Sarda), on twenty-one local pig genotypes existing in Italy at beginning of the last century. Recently all the breeds are recorded on the National Pedigree Register. For the genetic conservation of these populations, an adequate management of mating appears fundamental to limit the inbreeding and to increase the genetic variability, as nowadays it is carried out in Cinta Senese that offers the deepest pedigree. For Nero Siciliano and Sarda, individuation of morphological standard and recovery of appropriate genotypes appear also urgent. From the recent literature it is evident that the local breeds are worse than the improved ones in reproductive performance and productive traits as growth rate, feed conversion and carcass composition but they show interesting quality of meat and fat. Among the six breeds Cinta Senese, Mora Romagnola and Casertana seem to show higher body size and faster growth rate. The link with free-range rearing increases the commercial value of products of local pigs, because of both effective characterization and consumer suggestion, but research is helpful to increase the knowledge of their rearing system. The more interesting fields of research seem the following: genetic traceability; feeding traceability; evolution of body composition; sustainable exploitation of natural resources.