Artificial insemination boosts yield in native milch breeds

Nimesh Khakhariya | TNN

Rajkot: An exhaustive decade-long research by Junagadh Agriculture University (JAU) has finally established that milk production can be increased manifold using artificial insemination and genetic improvement of native cow breeds.

The research was carried out by Central Institute for Research on Cattle (CIRC) and Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) in JAU’s 10 artificial insemination (AI) centres established in Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Rajkot.

The results showed that the progeny of bovines born through artificial insemination using semen of genetically strong bulls, produced more milk than their mothers.

According to the varsity’s cattle breeding farm (CBF), with the supply of superior germplasm of bulls, so far 7,225 Jafrabadi females have been born while milk production in Jafrabadi buffaloes increased by 19.05%. The baseline production was 2,100 litres in 305-day lactation in the year 2004, which increased to 2,500 litres in the year 2018, revealed CIRB 2018-19 annual report.

In the Gir cow breed, milk production increased by 36.75% improvement. In comparison to this, CIRC report cites 20% improvement in Kankrej and 24.23% in Sahiwal breeds. The total number of female Gir calves born were 10,563 which too contributed to this significant increase in milk production.

BD Savaliya, an associate research scientist at cattle breeding farm of JAU said, “We had conducted progeny test to find this result. This is the result of genetic improvement among cows and buffaloes. We used selective semen of bulls and the calves born are genetically better. The milk production is deepened on genetically potential and these cows are genetically potential, so they are giving more milk.”

According to Savaliya, this experimentation was on for the past decade and this is the first time that results have been declared.