Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 11 : In a landmark achievement under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (FVAS), Institute of Agricultural Sciences, at Rajiv Gandhi South Campus (RGSC), BHU Barkachha, accomplished an unprecedented feat in bovine reproduction. On the morning of August 8, a total of 31 embryos from two elite indigenous Sahiwal cows were harvested through Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) procedures.
A donor Sahiwal cow underwent a non-surgical embryo recovery, yielding 23 embryos, of which eight were deemed transferable. Immediately following this, a second Sahiwal cow produced eight viable embryos, bringing the day's total to 31 embryos, a one-of-a-kind achievement at FVAS.
The MOET initiative, spearheaded by Dr. Manish Kumar, Dr. Kaustubh K. Saraf, and Dr. Ajeet Singh, seeks to amplify the population of genetically superior dairy cattle swiftly. By retrieving multiple embryos from high-yielding donors and implanting them into lower-producing surrogate cows, the project not only accelerates herd improvement but also effectively tackles infertility issues. When paired with artificial insemination using sex sorted semen, the technique significantly boosts the production of elite female calves of Sahiwal cows within a condensed timeframe.
The success of this technology is already visible. Three elite Sahiwal female calves have already been born at BHU Barkachha, underlining the project's successes and potential. University officials are extending all possible support to the above-mentioned work.
Principal Investigator Dr. Manish Kumar expressed optimism for even greater success in the near future, emphasising that today's success marks just the beginning of more transformative work in livestock genetics.