The difference between Bali cattle and Limousin-Bali (Limbal) crossed cattle concerning their qualitative characteristics inLombok Tengah District, Indonesia

Abstract. WarmanAT, Panjono, FadhilahGT, Atmoko BA, BintaraS, WidiTSM, BaliartiE,JannahZN.2024. The difference between Bali cattle and Limousine-Bali (Limbal) crossed cattleconcerning their qualitative characteristicsinLombok Tengah District, Indonesia.Nusantara Bioscience 16: 104-110.Crossbreeding is a potential approach thatfarmers might employ to improvethe productivity of Bali cattle(Bos javanicusd'Alton, 1823).Exotic cattle breeds, such as Limousin cattle (Bos taurusLinnaeus, 1758), are frequently usedfor crossbreeding. This study aimed to determine the qualitative characteristic differences between Bali cattle and Limousin-Bali (Limbal) crossed cattle in the Lombok Tengah District of West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Data sampling was conducted in 2 sub-districts, namely Pringgarata and Jonggat Sub-districts. The research used 80 adult female cattle, consisting of 40 Bali and 40 Limbal cattle. The average age of cattle was 4.24 years, and the average body weight was 236.66 kg for Bali cattle and 367.88 kg for Limbalcattle.Local farmers kept cattle using the same intensive methods.Phenotypic characterization included color and physical characteristics according to the guidelines provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). The Data were presenteddescriptively, and differences acrossvariables were assessed using the chi-square method. The research indicated no significant difference in tail-tip color (P>0.05).The body and eyelid colorshowed a significant difference (P<0.05). Furthermore, legscolor, buttockscolor, dorsal line color, vulva color, muzzle color, horn color, face profile, backlineprofile, horn orientation, and ear orientation differed significantly (P<0.01). Thus, it can be concluded that crossbreeding causedchanges in phenotypiccharacteristics in the next generation. Therefore, phenotypic characterization in the next generation of thesecrossbreedsmustbe conducted, and selection criteria must be established to achieve sustainable breeding goals