Murrah Breed Research Articles

A study on the assessment of milking machine teat cup liner size fitting in indigenous dairy animals

Milking machines aim to efficiently harvest high-quality milk while ensuring animal comfort and protecting against mastitis. The present study focused on 128 and 125 teats of Sahiwal cows and Murrah buffaloes by measuring the teat morphometric parameters and comparing them with the dimensions of the teat cup liner size of the milking machine. The intra-mammary infection status was assessed using thermal imaging and the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Results showed that 37.50% of Sahiwal cows had the best fitting teat sizes for milking machine liners based on upper teat diameter (UTD), while62.50% had a natural fitting. For Murrah buffaloes, 37.00% had the best-fitting teat size, and 63.00% had normal fitting teat size. In Sahiwal cows, 53.75 and 22.50% of teats were affected by subclinical (SCM) and clinical mastitis (CM) in normal-fitting UTD groups, whereas 43.75% and 18.75% were affected in the best-fitting UTD groups, respectively. In Murrah buffaloes, normal-fitting teat size related to UTD revealed 27.27 and 3.63% of SCM and CM-affected teats, and the mean values of UTD among the various groups based on the CMT score showed a significant difference (p<0.05). The mean UTD values for teats of the best-fitting size showed no mastitis incidences. The mean values of middle and lower teat diameters differed significantly (P<0.05)among both breeds’ best and normal fitting groups. These findings present an exciting opportunity for improving milking efficiency and animal welfare in Sahiwal and Murrah breeds by addressing variations in teat size and optimizing teat cup line rfitting with milking machines

Correlation of age with body weight and testicular biometry in developing buffalo males of Murrah breed

The current investigation was conducted on one hundred and eighty Murrah buffalo male calves from the age of one to thirty months, to investigate the correlation of age with body weight and testicular biometry. Six animals were included in each month. The body weight (b. wt) of the male calves was recorded on the weight bridge balance and the circumference of scrotum was measured by inch tape. The testicular dimensions were measured ultasonographically. Mean body weight from one to thirty month ranged between 57.0±1.99 and 433.0±9.81 kg. It increased 12.52 kg per month. The mean testicular circumference at 1, 12, 18 and 30 months was 9.00±00, 20.25±0.64, 21.42±0.64 and 26.67±0.42 cm, respectively. The overall increase in testicular circumference from one to thirty months was 0.59 cm per month. The mean length of right testes at one month was 2.89±0.15 cm and at eighteenth month was 6.87±0.27 cm. It increased in parallel pattern with b.wt and age. The width of right testes ranged between 1.01±0.05 to 4.53±0.211 cm. The length of left testes from one to eighteen month ranged between 2.73±0.19 to 6.49±0.10 cm with an increase of 0.21 cm per month. Similarly, the mean width of left testes ranged between 1.12±0.02 to 4.61±0.17 cm and significantly increased 0.12 cm/month. The data obtained in the current extensive study may serve as reference values for Murrah buffalo bulls.

Repeatability for weight at birth in Murrah buffaloes in the Zulia state of Venezuela

To improve livestock breeding, aspects such as genetic evaluation must be included, and clear objectives must be set for the selection of animals to be future breeders. In this way, the estimation of repeatability (R) and its use in the most probable production capacity allows the detection of the best females, considering their performance and productive life. Birth weight (BW) is a character that has importance in the future performance of the animal. Therefore, strategies should be applied to improve this character. Thus, the application of the calculation of R is a strategy that should be implemented as a genetic improvement strategy; for this purpose, 257 BW records of the offspring of 108 buffaloes of the Murrah breed of the Mega 21 farm located in the Baralt municipality (Menegrande) of Zulia-Venezuela state were analyzed. The calves (birth weight) were weighed in the first 24 hours of the animal’s life. The following linear additive mixed effects model was used to calculate R and its variance components for BW: is low, suggesting that a large number of data would be needed to evaluate the performance of a buffalo. The fixed effects (sex, season of birth, and year of birth) had a significant effect on BW (p<0.05). In this population, several records of a buffalo’s calves would be needed to correctly predict the BW of a future calf because R is low.

Effect of different hormonal protocols with timed AI on clinical signs of estrus and conception rates in Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes

The objective of the field experiment was to study the effect of different protocols for estrus synchronization with timed artificial insemination (TAI) on the manifestation of clinical signs of estrus (CSE) and conception rates in the Bulgarian Murrah breed. For treatment 75 heifers and 133 buffalo cows were assigned with follicles >8 mm and no corpus luteum and subjected to the following protocols: Presynch/Ovsynch (D1 - Synchrostim + Enzaprost; D4 - Оvarelin; D11 - Enzaprost; D13 - Оvarelin), Ovsynch (D1 - Оvarelin; D8 - Enzaprost; D10 - Оvarelin), Ovsynch+PRID (D1-8 PRID DELTA; D8 - Enzaprost; D10 - Оvarelin). For the buffalo cows, each protocol was applied in the breeding and non-breeding season, while in the heifers, out of season only. Gestation was diagnosed sonographically on day 45 post-TAI. The data were processed via dispersion analysis of a non- orthogonal set of qualitative traits, including the following factors with respective classes: protocol, three class- es – as described above; CSE, three classes – without CSE; patency of the cervical canal (excluding mucus); presence of clear mucous discharge (including patency); age, two classes – heifers, cows. Another 3-factor analysis was conducted on buffalo cows only, instead of age including season – with two classes: in season and out of season. The results show that the factor protocol has the most pronounced effect on TAI success (p<0.01), significantly lowest being the pregnancy rate (pi values) under the Presynch/Ovsynch protocol – only 23.9%, compared to 40.7 and 47.4% under Ovsynch and Ovsynch+PRID, respectively. Although the effect of age is non- significant, in the heifers, Ovsynch+PRID and Ovsynch show markedly higher results (50.0 and 52.9%, respectively). At the same time, in the buffalo cows, the differences are lower, the Ovsynch protocol having a relatively low pregnancy rate (38.3%), Ovsynch+PRID – highest (45.0%), and Presynch/Ovsynch – lowest (30.4%). The season had no significant effect, but it is note-worthy that there are even higher conception rates after out- of-season TAI than in-season – a very well-expressed difference under Ovsynch+PRID (50.0% vs. 37.5%) and smaller under Presynch/Ovsynch (37.5% vs 28.9%) and Ovsynch (40.9% vs 36.0%). CSE is a significant source of variance of conception rates (p<0.05), predictably the highest pi value belonging to the cases with mucus. The superiority of the Ovsynch+PRID protocol finds expression in the highest incidence of full estrus (with both CSE) in the lactating buffaloes (70%) and even more in the heifers (82%), as compared to Presynch/Ovsynch (56.5 and 52.2% respectively) and Ovsynch (51.1 and 50.0%) protocols. This is a reason to conclude that the Ovsynch+PRID protocol is recommendable for application in both age groups of Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes, as the observed highest manifestation of full estrus is associated with the highest conception rates, for which mucous discharge can be used as an indicator; this to greater extent regards the heifers in which, on the other hand, the Ovsynch protocol also has high success of TAI. The tested protocols show the capacity to mitigate the impact of season on reproduction and can be used in practice for overcoming the species-problematic seasonal anestrus, especially Ovsynch+PRID.

Heterogeneity in Physio-Chemical Traits of Milk across Buffalo Breeds in Haryana

This research paper presents a comparative analysis of the physio-chemical properties of milk from three different buffalo breeds in Haryana, namely Murrah, Nilli-Ravi, and Surti. The study aimed to evaluate various parameters including fat content, solid not fat (SNF), total solids, protein content, density, lactose content, titratable acidity, freezing point, pH, and specific gravity. A total of 60 buffaloes, 20 from each breed, were selected for the study, and milk samples were collected twice a day, in the morning and evening. The analysis revealed significant differences among the three buffalo breeds in terms of their milk composition. The Murrah breed exhibited the highest fat content (8.02), while the Nilli-Ravi had the lowest (8.14). For SnF values, Murrah shows highest values of 9.41 and Surti buffalo shows lowest 8.78. Similarly, variations were observed in other parameters across different breeds.
 These results can assist in breed selection for improved milk production, processing, and product development. Furthermore, the data obtained can serve as a valuable resource for dairy industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and researchers in the field of dairy science and technology. Future studies could explore the relationship between physio-chemical properties and milk yield, as well as investigating the impact of these variations on the processing and quality of dairy products.

Detection of genome-wide copy number variation in Murrah buffaloes

Riverine Buffaloes, especially the Murrah breed because of their adaptability to harsh climatic conditions, is farmed in many countries to convert low-quality feed into valuable dairy products and meat. Here, we investigated the copy number variations (CNVs) in 296 Murrah buffalo using the Axiom® Buffalo Genotyping Array 90K (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The CNVs were detected on the autosomes, using the Copy Number Analysis Module (CNAM) using the univariate analysis. 7937 CNVs were detected in 279 Buffaloes, the average length of the CNVs was 119,048.87 bp that ranged between 7800 and 4,561,030 bp. These CNVs were accounting for 10.33% of the buffalo genome, which was comparable to cattle, sheep, and goat CNV analyses. Further, CNVs were merged and 1541 CNVRs were detected using the Bedtools-mergeBed command. 485 genes were annotated within 196 CNVRs that were identified in at least 10 animals of Murrah population. Out of these, 40 CNVRs contained 59 different genes that were associated with 69 different traits. Overall, the study identified a significant number of CNVs and CNVRs in the Murrah breed of buffalo, with a wide range of lengths and frequencies across the autosomes. The identified CNVRs contained genes associated with important traits related to production and reproduction, making them potentially important targets for future breeding and genetic improvement efforts.

Impact of crossbreeding and upgrading of nondescript cattle and buffaloes on livestock quality and income

Upgradation of the progeny of low productive nondescript cattle through crossbreeding during 60’s, marked the involvement of marginal and small farmers who represented 85% of the land holders in India, in dairy industry. Various development organisations took initiatives to conserve local breeds of cows and buffaloes. To study the response of farmers to genetic improvement of cattle through crossbreeding and upgradation with native breeds, a field survey was conducted in 8 states where BAIF has been providing livestock breeding services. The study revealed that with reliable services, the population of crossbred cattle increased with significant reduction in nondescript cattle. Recently, due to aggressive propaganda on native cows, farmers have been gradually shifting to native breeds of cattle. Most of the farmers had no idea about the economics of native cows while the average milk yield of crossbreds was 100% to 150% higher. With regard to buffaloes, Murrah breed was popular. The programme enabled farmers to generate higher income by selling surplus milk and animals. Farmers covered under milk collection realized higher price. There was 200% to 400% increase in income of dairy farmers, based on the duration of their participation, number of cows owned, availability of feed and veterinary services, realization of price for milk, etc. The programme helped significant number of poor families to come out of poverty. However, as there is a move to shift from crossbreeding to upgrade with native breeds, it is recommended to study the economics of milch animals with other advantages and disadvantages to enlighten the farmers.

Genetic Study to Establish the Relationship between Sire Fertility and Daughter Performance Traits among Murrah Buffaloes

Background: Bull fertility assumes a vital part in bovine reproduction. Since selection intensity of bulls picked for breeding programs in dairy industry is high as they can sire extensively larger counts of offspring as compared to their female counterparts. Therefore the present study was designed to establish the relationship between the sire fertility and performance traits of the Murrah buffaloes. Methods: A total of 12898 observations were recorded with respect to routine seminal parameters from 130 Murrah breeding bulls spanning between 1995 and 2019 (25 years). Data consisted of 2161 records of 305 days milk yield (305 MY) and lactation length (LL), 2160 records of lactation milk yield (LMY), 2155 records of peak milk yield (PMY), 1905 records of average fat percentage (FP), 1542 records of service period (SP) and 1914 records of conception rate (CR) have been utilized for the current study. Breeding values with respect to 33 Murrah buffalo bulls were taken for the correlation studied and for further ranking of the sires. Result: Average mean values of seminal parameter viz. ejaculated volume (EV), colour (Col), consistency (Con), log sperm concentration (LSC), mass activity (MA), initial motility (IM) and Post-Thaw Motility (PTM) were as 3.25±0.01 (ml), 3.50±0.01 (0-5 scale), 2.52±0.04 (0-5 scale), 3.11±0.01, 2.25±0.01 (0-5 scale), 64.22±0.15 and 38.62±0.19 (%) respectively. The arithmetic means of LMY, 305 MY, PY, LL, FP, CR and SP were calculated to be 2343.33±17.77, 2142.13±13.77, 12.57±0.06, 328.41±2.11, 7.39±0.01, 0.52±0.09 and 166.36±2.75, respectively. The sire rank correlation between the seminal attributes and performance traits was ranged between -0.57±0.15 (ejaculate volume and lactation milk yield) and 0.49±0.16 (semen consistency and lactation milk yield). Association between the fertility using routine semen quality parameters would be helpful to assess the bull fertility which lead to the improvement in the herd fertility.

Exploration of allelic variants in short tandem repeats (STRs) flanking milk production QTLs and their association with milk production traits in Indian water buffaloes.

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are co-dominant, highly polymorphic marker loci, distributed throughout the genome and useful for identification and mapping of QTLs associated with variation in traits of economic significance. Allelic variants were identified in STRs located in close vicinity of cattle QTLs for milk production,, viz. BMS713, BM6404, BM4513, BM121, BM6105, TGLA245, BL1100, BMS1948, BMS711, BM1443, BM1706, BM6438, BM143, BM415, ETH131, ETH 2, and BM1329 in 109 water buffaloes of Murrah breed. All loci except TGLA245 exhibited polymorphism of varying degree. The observed number of alleles, effective number of alleles, PIC value, observed heterozygosity, and expected heterozygosity across all STR loci averaged 4.12 ± 0.22, 3.20 ± 0.22, 0.60 ± 0.04, 0.34 ± 0.05, and 0.66 ± 0.03, respectively. Goodness of fit (chi-square) and likelihood ratio (G square) test demonstrated that the population exhibited a deviation from HWE for all the loci. FIS was positive and ranged from 0.22 to 1.00. Least square analysis of variance exhibited significant effects of BM4513, ETH131, BM713, and BM6105 on first lactational total lactation milk yield, 305-day milk yield, lactation length, and dry period respectively. None of the STRs could exhibit significant effect on peak yield.

Estimates of genetic parameters for production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes (Riverine buffalo) in India

Murrah is a predominant milch breed of buffalo in India with superior genetic potential for milk production. Estimation of genetic parameters for production and reproduction traits is prerequisite for making breeding plan and efficient management decisions. This work was undertaken to understand the influence on performance traits by various factors (genetic and non-genetic) along with assessment of genetic parameters in Murrah buffaloes. The genetic parameters were figured using mixed model least-squares analysis. The results revealed that season and period in which animals calved, affects the performance of Murrah breed and may be considered during its evaluation. The heritability estimates for first lactation 305 days/less milk yield (305FLMY), first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY), first Lactation Length (FLL1), Wet average (WA), Herd average (HA), Age at first calving (AFC1) and Age at first service (AFS1) were 0.39±0.10, 0.29±0.09, 0.14±0.09, 0.29±0.09, 0.3±0.11, 0.27±0.09 and 0.22±0.09, respectively. The phenotypic and genetic correlation amid 305FLMY and majority of another production trait were positive and significant. Thus, it may be concluded that appropriate estimation of genetic parameters leads to robust selection for performance traits for genetic improvement in Murrah buffalo.

Detection of nucleotide variants in FCGRT (Fc fragment of IgG, receptor, transporter, alpha) gene and their influence on colostral IgG concentration in Indian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

The neonatal Fc receptors (FcRn) mediate the transfer of immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules from a dam's circulation to the colostrum produced by it immediately after parturition. In ruminants, the calves born are agammaglobulinemic therefore, ingestion of colostrum with high concentration of IgG imparts passive immunity to the newborn. The FcRn molecule is a heterodimer, coded by FCGRT (Fc fragment of IgG Receptor Transporter neonatal) and B2M (Beta 2 microglobulin) genes. Present study attempted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FCGRT gene in 40 buffaloes of Murrah breed and evaluated the association of these nucleotide variations and haplotypes with IgG concentration in their colostrum. Animals producing colostrum with high IgG and low IgG levels were identified by indirect ELISA and selected. SNPs were detected in the FCGRT gene sequence of selected animals by amplifying it in nine fragments covering all exons (with flanking introns) followed by PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). A total of nine SNPs were observed of which seven were present in flanking introns and two in exon 4 of the gene. The SNP A75G was non-synonymous and produced an amino acid change from isoleucine to valine. The exonic SNPs and corresponding haplotypes were found to be significantly (P < 0.01 and 0.05 respectively) associated with colostral IgG concentration based on Odds ratios at 95% confidence interval. Polymorphism in FCGRT gene is found to be associated with IgG concentration in colostrum and identification of females with desirable variations may prevent failure of passive transfer in neonatal ruminants.

Cattle and Buffalo Genetic Resources of India

There are 50 registered breed of cattle and 19 breeds of buffalo in the country, these breeds are well adapted to diverse climate of the country and contributing significantly to the livelihood. India possesses 193.4 million cattle and 109.85 million buffalo in the year 2019. The crossbred and buffalo population has increased all the time since the livestock census initiated. Among the cattle and buffalo, 52% cattle and 45.4% buffalo population are non-descript and need to be defined on priority so their development programs can be initiated. India is home of best breeds of buffalo in the world i.e. Murrah and Sahiwal, Gir, Ongole and Tharparkar breeds of cattle. Mehsana and Niliravi are the breeds of buffalo those are equally good in performance in the country. Gir breed of cattle and Murrah breed of buffalo had maximum heads in the country. Breed wise trends during the years 2013-2022, showed that among the 37 cattle breeds included in breed survey/census, 15 are showing increasing trends and 22 showed declining trends. In buffalo, 13 breeds were included in breed survey/census, 4 are showing declining trends and 9 showed increasing trends. For improving the bovines in the country, we need to define non-described bovines on priority and registered unique population as distinct breed, if eligible, accurate breed census/survey, performance recording system at farmers door, ensure availability of superior germplasm, more population to be covered through Artificial Insemination and establishment of breed societies and breed nucleus farms adopting open nucleus breeding system.

Comparative Signatures of Selection Analyses Identify Loci Under Positive Selection in the Murrah Buffalo of India.

India is home to a large and diverse buffalo population. The Murrah breed of North India is known for its milk production, and it has been used in breeding programs in several countries. Selection signature analysis yield valuable information about how the natural and artificial selective pressures have shaped the genomic landscape of modern-day livestock species. Genotype information was generated on six buffalo breeds of India, namely, Murrah, Bhadawari, Mehsana, Pandharpuri, Surti, and Toda using ddRAD sequencing protocol. Initially, the genotypes were used to carry out population diversity and structure analysis among the six breeds, followed by pair-wise comparisons of Murrah with the other five breeds through XP-EHH and F ST methodologies to identify regions under selection in Murrah. Admixture results showed significant levels of Murrah inheritance in all the breeds except Pandharpuri. The selection signature analysis revealed six regions in Murrah, which were identified in more than one pair-wise comparison through both XP-EHH and F ST analyses. The significant regions overlapped with QTLs for milk production, immunity, and body development traits. Genes present in these regions included SLC37A1, PDE9A, PPBP, CXCL6, RASSF6, AFM, AFP, ALB, ANKRD17, CNTNAP2, GPC5, MYLK3, and GPT2. These genes emerged as candidates for future polymorphism studies of adaptability and performance traits in buffaloes. The results also suggested ddRAD sequencing as a useful cost-effective alternative for whole-genome sequencing to carry out diversity analysis and discover selection signatures in Indian buffalo breeds.

Polymorphisms in the Leptin and SCD genes in Buffaloes of the Amazon

The objective this work was to evaluate genetically the buffaloes populations using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in the leptin and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) genes, and associate the genotypes with milk production. Sixty-nine samples of Bubalus bubalis - 38 Murrah breed, 18 Mediterranean and 13 mixed-breed of the Murrah with Mediterranean - were evaluated. Allele and genotype frequencies, the heterozygosity observed and expected, the inbreeding coefficients (FIS), the probabilities of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the F statistic for population differentiation and Shannon index were calculated using GENEPOP and GenALEx programs. The associations of the different genotypes with a role in milk production were tested by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test. We reported the leptin and SCD allele contribution to genetic variability in buffaloes herds in the Brazilian Amazonian region. The A allele was more representative in leptin and SCD genes for all breed groups. No significant effects between genotypes and milk production were found in the present study, but there is an indicative that AA genotype in leptin gene affects milk production in Murrah breed.

Genome-Wide Association Studies in Indian Buffalo Revealed Genomic Regions for Lactation and Fertility.

Murrah breed of buffalo is an excellent dairy germplasm known for its superior milk quality in terms of milk fat and solids-not-fat (SNF); however, it is often reported that Indian buffaloes had lower lactation and fertility potential compared to the non-native cattle of the country. Recent techniques, particularly the genome-wide association studies (GWAS), to identify genomic variations associated with lactation and fertility traits offer prospects for systematic improvement of buffalo. DNA samples were sequenced using the double-digestion restriction-associated DNA (RAD) tag genotyping-by-sequencing. The bioinformatics pipeline was standardized to call the variants, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) qualifying the stringent quality check measures were retained for GWAS. Over 38,000 SNPs were used to perform GWAS on the first two principal components of test-day records of milk yields, fat percentages, and SNF percentages, separately. GWAS was also performed on 305 days’ milk yield; lactation persistency was estimated through the rate of decline after attaining the peak yield method, along with three other standard methods; and breeding efficiency, post-partum breeding interval, and age at sexual maturity were considered fertility traits. Significant association of SNPs was observed for the first principal component, explaining the maximum proportion of variation in milk yield. Furthermore, some potential genomic regions were identified to have a potential role in regulating milk yield and fertility in Murrah. Identification of such genomic regions shall help in carrying out an early selection of high-yielding persistent Murrah buffaloes and, in the long run, would be helpful in shaping their future genetic improvement programs.

High-throughput genotype-based population structure analysis of selected buffalo breeds.

India is considered as the home tract of some of the best buffalo breeds. However, the genetic structure of the Indian river buffalo is poorly understood. Hence, there is a need to characterize the populations and understand the genetic structure of various buffalo breeds for selection and to design breeding strategies. In this study, we have analyzed genetic variability and population structure of seven buffalo breeds from their respective geographical regions using Axiom Buffalo Genotyping Array. Diversity, as measured by expected heterozygosity, ranged from 0.364 in Surti to 0.384 in Murrah breed, and pair-wise FST values revealed the lowest genetic distance between Murrah and Nili-Ravi (0.0022), while the highest between Surti and Pandharpuri (0.030). Principal component analysis and structure analysis unveiled the differentiation of Surti, Pandharpuri, and Jaffarabadi in first two principal components and at K = 4, respectively, while remaining breeds were grouped together as a separate single cluster and admixed. Murrah and Mehsana showed early linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay, while Surti breed showed late decay. In LD blocks to quantitative trait locis (QTLs) concordance analysis, 4.65% of concordance was observed with 873 LD blocks overlapped with 2,330 QTLs. Overall, total 4,090 markers were identified from all LD blocks for six types of traits. Results of this study indicated that these single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers could differentiate phenotypically distinct breeds like Surti, Pandharpuri, and Jaffarabadi but not others. So, there is a need to develop SNP chip based on SNP markers identified by sequence information of local breeds.

Genetic Diversity of Bubalus bubalis in Germany and Global Relations of Its Genetic Background.

This is the first study to explore the genetic diversity and population structure of domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Germany and their potential relations to herds in other parts of Europe or worldwide. To this end, animals from different herds in Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary were genotyped and compared to genotypes from other populations with worldwide distribution and open to the public. The pilot study analyzed population structure, phylogenetic tree, and inbreeding events in our samples. In buffalos from Germany, a mixed genetic make-up with contributions from Bulgaria (Murrah breed), Romania, and Italy was found. All in all, a high degree of genetic diversity was identified in European buffalos, and a novel genotype was described in Hungarian buffalos by this study. We demonstrate that European buffalos stand out from other buffalo populations worldwide, supporting the idea that buffalos have not completely disappeared from the European continent during the late Pleistocene. The high genetic diversity in European buffalos seems to be an excellent prerequisite for the establishment of local breeds characterized by unique traits and features. This study may also be considered as an initial step on the way to genome characterization for the sustainable development of the buffalo economy in Germany and other parts of Europe in the future.

9 Fixed timed artificial insemination during different seasons in Argentina (2016–2019)

The objective of this work was to evaluate pregnancy rates in buffaloes subjected to fixed-time AI (FTAI) during the year in Argentina. The data analysed was collected between 2016 to 2019 in a farm located in Paso Florentin City (27°20′33″ latitude and 58°08′27″ longitude) in Corrientes, Argentina. The animals were grazing native pastures (Andropogon lateralis, Paspalum almum). Ten fixed-time AI (FTAI) sessions were performed, 6 within the favourable season (BS, March–June) and 4 in the outbreeding season (OBS; September–December). Murrah and Mediterranean breed (n=141) buffaloes were used. All animals were healthy, without anatomical alterations and with normal reproductive tracts. Heifers (H), adult females with calf (AFC), and dry buffaloes (DB) were used. The average (±s.d.) weight of the animals were 459.0±37.5kg, 581.3±53.6kg, and 583.3±53.1kg, respectively. The presence of corpus luteum (CL) or a dominant follicle (≥8mm) at the beginning of the protocol was recorded. BS ovulation induction: Ovsynch (n=182); Day 0 gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 100μg, busereline acetate), Day 7 prostaglandin F2α (150μg, cloprostenol), Day 9 GnRH and FTAI 16h after the last GnRH injection. For the OBS (n=85): Day 0 intravaginal device (700mg of P4) + oestradiol benzoate (0.2g), Day 8 removal of the device + prostaglandin F2α + oestradiol cypionate (0.1g) + eCG (400IU) and Day 10 FTAI (52–56h) after device removal. Semen from 5 bulls of proven fertility was used, and the same technician performed all the inseminations. A specifically designed format to record the data were used and the average±s.d. of the physiological and the meteorological parameters were calculated. Pregnancy was detected 40 days after FTAI using ultrasonography. Comparison within variables were performed using ANOVA and Tukey test, with InfoStat-Statistical Software. A total of 267 inseminations were performed, and the overall pregnancy rate (PR) was 37.45% (100/267). Comparing BS with OBS, PR were 40.7% (74/182) and 30.6% (26/85) (P&amp;lt;0.005). Heifers had a higher PR (51.5%) than suckled buffaloes (38.8%) and dry buffaloes (20%) during the BS (P&amp;lt;0.05). In the OBS, there were no differences among categories on PR for [36.36 (4/11) H, 28.57 (12/42) AFC, 19.51 (8/41) DB; P&amp;gt;0.05]. The presence of a CL at the beginning of the FTAI protocol had a positive effect on PR during the year in all categories [31.79% (55/173) H, 40.42 (38/94) AFC, 21.51 (17/79) DB vs. 25.45% (28/110) H, 29.68 (19/64) AFC, 19.56 (9/46) DB; P&amp;lt;0.05]. Season had a significant effect over PR, but rain, temperature, daylight, and humidity did not differ during the year. These results show the feasibility of FTAI in water buffalo, confirm that it is possible to maintain the PR during the year, and demonstrate successful performance of protocol induction in cyclic females during the year. More research is needed to improve PR in buffaloes in Argentina, to explain the low results in suckled and dry adult buffaloes, and to analyse the effect of meteorological conditions over the breeding performance of the animals.

Sequencing and Analysis of the Myostatin Gene (GDF-8) in Bubalus bubalis Young Animals to Determine the Existence of Possible Mutations Expressed in Double Musculature Phenotype

Since the 19th century, the presentation of bovines with disproportionate muscle development have been associated with mutations that inhibit the action of the myostatin gene, it is referred to as double muscle mutation, which is common in some European Bos taurus breeds but it is not reported in buffaloes Bubalus bubalis. This study aims to evaluate if the phenotype observed in 6 young buffaloes with disproportionate muscle development has the same myostatin mutation reported in cattle. DNA was obtained from the blood of the animals of the Murrah breed. First, second and third exon was amplified end point PCR; the fragments were sequenced using capillary electrophoresis. Holstein cattle (Bos taurus) was used As control for normal phenotype. The results obtained from the comparison of the sequence of the myostatin gene show that the observed double-muscled phenotype did not show differences from normal controls. Interspecific variation was demonstrated by comparing exons two and three of the gene, finding 12 variations between the Bos taurus and Bubalus bubalis species in the evaluated fragments. It is necessary to study physiology, and the animals to explain the phenotype observed in buffaloes.

Semen production and semen quality of indigenous buffalo breeds under hot semiarid climatic conditions in India

Semen data comprising of 97,023 ejaculates of 197 bulls from 6 buffalo breeds were analyzed. The traits considered were as follows: ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, mass activity, initial and post-thaw motility, total sperm, and total motile sperm before and after thawing as well as a composite trait equal to the theoretical number of doses which can be produced from each given ejaculate. The objective was to measure the semen production potential of indigenous buffalo bulls and identify factors affecting these traits. A linear mixed model was used, including a random bull effect along with other fixed factors: the order of the ejaculate on a particular day, the interval between collections, the time of collection, the breed, the age at collection, the semen collector, and the year and month of collection. The study showed breed wise variation for all traits. The first ejaculate of a bull on a particular day was superior to the second for nearly all the traits. Longer collection intervals are better than shorter intervals for all the parameters, although short collection interval of 2 to 4days produced higher yield in terms of total semen doses without hampering semen quality. The study also showed a slight decrease of semen quality with time of collection within a day. The Murrah breed showed comparatively consistent performance during their whole life compared with the other breeds. Repeatability estimates for semen traits were found to be low (0.09 for mass activity) to relatively large (> 0.4 for volume and concentration). A negative correlation was found between bull effects for semen volume and concentration while a high positive correlation was found between mass activity, initial motility, and post-thaw motility. Results of the study will help in suggesting suitable management and breeding plans for semen production traits.