No abstract

Lesser Known Strains 216-234 Evaluation of Breeds 235-290 Breed Improvement Programmes 291-317 Strategies for Conservation 318-333 References 334-350 Appendices 351-370 index 371-382 2 ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES OF INDIA-CATTLE AND BUFFALO rearing. Investment in this sector can bring substantial prosperity to rural areas. The Government of India is providing Rs 4,000 million for animal sector annually but 90% of the amount is used for the salary of the staff. Cattle and buffaloes are the most preponderant species among all livestock in India and they account for over 75% of the total output value of the livestock sector. In 1996 among all the farm produce, milk emerged as the single largest contributor to Indian agriculture, both in quantity and value terms. Cattle and buffaloes generated output valued at Rs 295 billion in milk, Rs 31 billion in work/draught, Rs 43 billion in dung and some Rs 40 billion in meat, hides and offal out.of a total output value of Rs 470 billion for all livestock produce in 1991 (Project Report, 1997). In 1992 the country had 204 million cattle and 83.5 million buffaloes registering a growth of nearly 32% over the 1951 population in the case of cattle and almost doubling in the case of buffa¬ loes. The annual growth between 1987 and 1992 was 0.48% in cattle and 1.91% in buffaloes. The radical changes within the cattle population over the last two decades indicate a shift in the priority of the farming community from production of work animals to milch animals. The proportion of females in the population increased steadily with 1972 as the turning point. Between 1972 and 1982 the number of working males in the cattle population declined sharply (by 12 million); among females the proportion of adult females increased (63% in native and 61% in crossbreds). There was a gradual but steady decline in the proportion of native cows and phenomenal growth in that of crossbred cows. Crossbreds increased from 8.80 million in 1982 to 11.59 million in 1987 (+31.70%) and to 15.22 million (+31.32%) in 1992. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab were the states with large number of crossbreds, and together they accounted for nearly 65% in the country in 1992. Northern region has a considerable population of crossbreds (40%), followed by southern region (34%) and western region (15%). Eastern region has traditional rainfed agriculture and is mainly dependent on draught animals for draught power. It has the highest proportion of na¬ tive cows and lowest of crossbreds (11%). Increase in buffalo population, particularly after 1970, indicates the preference of farmers and dairy industry for buffalo milk. Buffalo milk fetches higher price than cow milk. The percentage of female buffaloes steadily improved from 72 in 1961 to over 80 in 1991. Among them 64% were adults. The Indian sub-continent occupies a pre-eminent position in so far as its animal genetic resources are concerned. It is endowed with a veritable gold mine of farm animals and poultry. Animal germplasm of economic utility inclu...

SummaryA survey was conducted in the native tract of the Punjab Brown breed of chicken to study management practices, as well as morphological, performance and egg quality parameters. The study covered the three districts of Gurdaspur district in Punjab, and Ambala and Yamunanagar districts in Haryana, and included 532 birds and 61 families. Twenty-six microsatellite loci were used to assess genetic variability. The Punjab Brown is a multi-purpose breed, yielding good quality meat and eggs. Birds are reared in the backyard system and shelter is provided only during the night in the form of small enclosures mostly made up of mud and sometimes of wood. Average flock size is 8.7. Plumage colour is mostly brown and the pattern is usually solid but is sometimes spotted or striped. Males in particular have black spots/stripes on their neck, wings and tail. The comb is red, of single type and erect in position. The average weight of cocks and hens is 2.15±0.94 and 1.57±0.04 kg respectively. Hens start laying eggs at the age of about five to six months. Clutch size is about four to five. Average egg production is around 60–80 eggs per year. Eggshell colour is mostly light brown and average egg weight is 46.0±1.91g. The average weight of shell, albumin and yolk were 5.4±0.21, 24.4±0.63 and 16.2±0.48g respectively. Yolk index, albumin index and Haugh units were 0.41±0.005, 0.10±0.006 and 82.80±0.98 respectively. A total of 218 alleles were observed. The number of alleles per locus varied from 4–14. The mean PIC value for all the loci was 0.744. Twenty-four loci were found to be neutral (P<0.05) using Ewens Watterson test of neutrality. The exact test revealed that 15 loci deviated from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium. The population has not undergone any recent bottleneck as revealed by quantitative and graphical qualitative tests.

SUMMARYBhadawari buffaloes are reputed for high milk fat and are found in the Agra & Etawah districts of Uttar Pradesh and the Bhind & Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh. Information on the status, management practices, morphological characteristics, body measurements and performance of the Bhadawari breed were recorded from its breeding tract. Animals true to the breed are copper in colour and have a white ring on the lower side of the neck. The population of this breed is declining at a fast pace and efforts are needed for its conservation. Strategies for its improvement and conservation are also discussed.

SummaryNili Ravi buffaloes are native to the Ferozepur, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab. A systematic survey was conducted in this area to study the socio-economic status of the farmers, and the demographic distribution and breed characteristics of Nili Ravi buffaloes. The majority of the farmers surveyed (84%) kept buffaloes. About 34 % of buffalo farmers were landless. Average land holdings were 1.50 hectares. Animals were provided with separate houses. The buffaloes were tied most of the time and fed chaffed fodder. Natural service was mainly practiced for the breeding of animals. Very few buffaloes had typical Nili Ravi characters (all extremities white). Most of the Nili Ravi type buffaloes now available have white markings on the forehead and hind legs only, and some have wall eyes i.e. eyes with a whitish iris. Average daily milk yield was 6.67 kg in a lactation period of 8–9 months. Nili Ravi type buffaloes constituted only 10.8 %, 8.7 % and 14 % of total buffaloes surveyed in Ferozepur, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts, respectively. The estimated population of these buffaloes was about 0.2 million. The population of Nili Ravi is declining because of the non-availability of typical Nili Ravi bulls and non-marketability of Nili Ravi type (2–3 white extremities) animals.