<![CDATA[Peranakan Ongole (PO) cattle are one of Indonesia's local beef cattle genetic resources that have adapted well to smallholder farming conditions. Phenotypic characterization is an initial step to describe genetic diversity as a basis for selection and breeding programs. This study aimed to examine the genetic diversity of PO cattle based on qualitative and quantitative traits on smallholder farms. The study used a survey method on 120 adult PO cattle (60 males and 60 females) selected purposively. The qualitative traits observed were body color, hump, dewlap, dorsal line, muzzle color, hoof color, and horns, while the quantitative traits were body weight, withers height, body length, chest girth, chest width, chest depth, and hip height. Qualitative data were analyzed by calculating phenotype frequencies, while quantitative data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation. The results showed that PO cattle had relatively uniform (monomorphic) qualitative traits, namely greyish-white body color, humped, dewlapped, with black muzzle and hooves. Quantitative traits showed coefficients of variation between 4–14%, with an average body weight of 358 kg in males and 298 kg in females. It is concluded that PO cattle have high uniformity of qualitative traits as breed characteristics, with quantitative trait diversity that is still adequate for selection, especially for body weight and body measurements.]]>
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