LUCKNOW: At the state government’s Varanasi farm for Gangatiri cows, two female Gangatiri calves, born on March 26 and March 27, are the first in the country to have been reproduced using embryo transfer technology and IVF. Though the technology has been used for propagation of elite cows of other breeds, both in UP and other states, for Gangatiri breed of cows, it marks the start.
Gangatiri is a cow native to eastern UP and a part of Bihar. It got its name after Ganga as it is the belt along the river which is its natural tract. It has many merits being a native, like high adaptability to the region and lesser input cost. The breed is resistant to a lot of diseases and also economical.
“Gangatiri is recognized nationally and has high significance as a source of livelihood to local farmers in the state,” said CEO, UP Livestock Development Board (UPLDB), Dr Neeraj Gupta. The embryo transfer technology (ETT) will help produce elite cows at a faster rate, as a single mother will produce multiple progenies, and all of them will be of high merit.
In the current case, four elite females at the farm were selected as the egg donors after their records of lactation and parentage were found satisfactory. The sexed semen from a high merit bull was used to fertilize the eggs in-vivo (inside the body). After about seven days, the embryos were flushed from the donor cows and transferred into four recipient cows, who may not have been of high merit for being merely the surrogate.
At the end, however, only two pregnancies were successful and two calves were born. Since it was the sexed semen (in which 90% Y chromosomes were removed) that was used for fertilization of eggs, it were the female calves instead of males born at the farm.
“The two females will be brought up at the farm to add to the number of elite cows,” said the official. Meanwhile, in the entire process, at least 24 transferable embryos were flushed. Out of which, 14 were transferred into the recipient cows and the rest were cryopreserved for future use. The farmers can buy the embryos for Rs 5,000, which may also be the average cost of a high quality Gangatiri cow in the market.
The ETT is being extensively used for improvement of indigenous cow breeds at various places as elite cows are used as egg and sperm donors. “In future, this technique will increase the efficiency as well as productivity of Gangatiri bovine herd by producing elite male and female animals. It has huge potential to multiply the income of farmers there,” said principal secretary, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries and Chairman, UPLDB, Ravinder.
The standard gestation period for cows is over nine months. Going by that standard, one female may produce one calf in a year, mostly. Through ETT, an elite cow can produce multiple progenies in a year.
A gangatiri cow weighs about 300 kgs to 350 kgs and yields 8 litre to 10 litre milk every day. The genetically improved breed, however, may have a higher yield. The breed was registered by NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources) in 2015.
Gangatiri is a cow native to eastern UP and a part of Bihar. It got its name after Ganga as it is the belt along the river which is its natural tract. It has many merits being a native, like high adaptability to the region and lesser input cost. The breed is resistant to a lot of diseases and also economical.
“Gangatiri is recognized nationally and has high significance as a source of livelihood to local farmers in the state,” said CEO, UP Livestock Development Board (UPLDB), Dr Neeraj Gupta. The embryo transfer technology (ETT) will help produce elite cows at a faster rate, as a single mother will produce multiple progenies, and all of them will be of high merit.
In the current case, four elite females at the farm were selected as the egg donors after their records of lactation and parentage were found satisfactory. The sexed semen from a high merit bull was used to fertilize the eggs in-vivo (inside the body). After about seven days, the embryos were flushed from the donor cows and transferred into four recipient cows, who may not have been of high merit for being merely the surrogate.
At the end, however, only two pregnancies were successful and two calves were born. Since it was the sexed semen (in which 90% Y chromosomes were removed) that was used for fertilization of eggs, it were the female calves instead of males born at the farm.
“The two females will be brought up at the farm to add to the number of elite cows,” said the official. Meanwhile, in the entire process, at least 24 transferable embryos were flushed. Out of which, 14 were transferred into the recipient cows and the rest were cryopreserved for future use. The farmers can buy the embryos for Rs 5,000, which may also be the average cost of a high quality Gangatiri cow in the market.
The ETT is being extensively used for improvement of indigenous cow breeds at various places as elite cows are used as egg and sperm donors. “In future, this technique will increase the efficiency as well as productivity of Gangatiri bovine herd by producing elite male and female animals. It has huge potential to multiply the income of farmers there,” said principal secretary, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries and Chairman, UPLDB, Ravinder.
The standard gestation period for cows is over nine months. Going by that standard, one female may produce one calf in a year, mostly. Through ETT, an elite cow can produce multiple progenies in a year.
A gangatiri cow weighs about 300 kgs to 350 kgs and yields 8 litre to 10 litre milk every day. The genetically improved breed, however, may have a higher yield. The breed was registered by NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources) in 2015.
