A Gir calf was delivered by IVF embryo transplantation at the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) Rahuri in Pune, marking a first. According to PG Patil, vice chancellor of the institution, this technique would significantly contribute in the preservation of indigenous or desi breeds.
The procedure entails removing the egg from a chosen female and fertilising it outside the female’s body with sperm from a chosen man. The fertilised egg was planted in a crossbred cow at MPKV Rahuri, where it eventually gave birth to the calf.
The embryo transplantation coordinator, Vishnu Narvade, reported that the calf weighed 22.9 kg and that the sire dam produced 4,165 kg of milk with 5% fat each lactation.
Despite being robust, native animals are no longer preferred by dairy farmers because of their reduced milk production. Concerns about the species becoming uncommon have arisen as unspecified or nondescript species have colonised the nation over time.
The possibility of repopulating the breed is made possible by innovations like IVF. At the university’s Indigenous Cattle Research and Training Center, more than 150 Sahiwal, Gir, Rathi, Tharparkar, and Red Sindhtei calves were born as part of the study.
The claimed technique is being used by NDDB Rahuri and will aid in the preservation of high-quality indigenous livestock.
Speaking about this technique, Director of Research Sharad Gadakh stated that “there is no option without IVF/embryo transfer technology to raise the number of cows with high production capacity at a rapid rate in view of the declining number of pure domestic cattle in the nation.”
Dr. Somnath Mane, chief scientist, Dr. Dheeraj Kankhare, technical head and coordinator, ET/IVF, Dr. Vishnu Narwade, Dr. Pramod Sakhre, Dr. Adangle, and Dr. Shivkumar Patil, NDDB, are all involved in the effort.
