The Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) is planning to export frozen embryos of the well-known Ongole cattle. The move follows a breakthrough achieved by its scientists at the Livestock Research Station (LRS) at Guntur in the application of the multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) technology.
In embryo transfer, embryos will be collected from a donor female cattle and transferred to a recipient female (surrogate mother) which carries and delivers the calf. A donor can be repeatedly used for production of embryos. Using the procedure called 'Super Ovulation' the donors are induced to release more eggs in one oestrus cycle that occurs once in 18-24 days. This process is popularly known as MOET.
According to ANGRAU Vice-Chancellor Dr I V Subba Rao, the LRS scientists had so far collected 129 embryos of which 72 were transferable. The scientists had transferred embryos using MOET technology in 18 cows. Of the 18 pregnancies, thus established, 7 calves were born while 10 pregnancies were due for delivery. The authenticity of these embryo transfers was verified and confirmed using DNA fingerprinting technique at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad.
There was good demand for the embryos of Ongole cattle in the US, Canada, Latin American countries and Indonesia. In fact Brazil now sells Ongole cattle embryos at $ 300 each. ANGRAU has already received enquiries from Canada for supply of these embryos . The LRS scientists transferred 10 embryos at the instance of Glaxo's Dairy Division at a nominal charge of Rs 1,000 per transfer.
Dr Rao said Ongole cattle were heavy, tardy and disease-resistant and had excellent capacity to thrive on scanty dry fodder. The breed had gained much importance in other countries , especially in Brazil for beef and milk production. The university was maintaining a herd of more than 500 pure Ongole cattle at its LRS in Guntur for breeding and multiplying the cattle at a faster pace.
The Rs 36-lakh programme for conservation of Ongole breed of cattle had started in July 2000 at the LRS under the National Agricultural Technology Project funded by the World Bank.
Dr Rao said ANGRAU was planning to use the MOET technology on buffaloes at its Buffalo Research Station at Venkataramanna Gudem in West Godavari district.