AICRP ON CATTLE

Dairy Cattle production in India is traditionally practiced under integrated mixed farming system.  Unlike the western countries, Indian livestock farming is considerably unorganized and considered as household enterprise to majority of rural masses. Due to this reason, majority of the genetic improvement programmes being implemented in the country are focused to improve the production potential of indigenous and non-descript cattle reared under farmers` herds.  The crossbreeding programme was started to improve the milk production potential of the low producing indigenous cattle in which the temperate dairy breeds like Holstein Friesian, Jersey, Brown Swiss etc. were used to upgrade or cross the non-descript indigenous cows.  In this view, the AICRP on cattle was started by the ICAR to improve the performance of cattle maintained under farm and field conditions. The Frieswal project was started in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence to evolve a national milch breed “Frieswal” by crossing the Holstein Friesian and Sahiwal cattle. Presently this project is implemented in 36 military dairy farms located at various agro climatic regions of the country.  Subsequently, keeping in view the importance of indigenous breeds, known for their adaptability and disease resistance qualities, Indigenous Breeds Project (IBP) was also started in collaboration with the State Veterinary/Agricultural Universities, State Government, Non-Government Organizations and Gaushalas.  Similarly, Field Progeny Testing (FPT) project was initiated to bring about improvement in crossbred cattle at farmers` herd in collaboration with the SAUs, State Govt. and Non-Government Organizations.

            The ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cattle (formerly Project Directorate on Cattle) was established as a nodal institution to monitor, coordinate and support all research and development projects for cattle improvement on 3^rd November 1987 at Military Farms School & Research Centre, Meerut. The institute coordinates the AICRP on cattle since its inception and the projects are at their midway to achieve the targeted results. Hence, it becomes essential to further continue the AICRP on cattle so as to bring the desired genetic improvement of cattle.

A. STUDIES ON GENETIC ASPECTS OF HOLSTEIN-SAHIWAL CROSSBREDS- FRIESWAL PROJECT

Frieswal is a crossbred cattle having 5/8 Holstein Friesian and 3/8 Sahiwal blood, developed by Central Institute for Research on Cattle, Meerut, in collaboration with Ministry of Defense. The Frieswal project envisages evolving a National Milch Breed “Frieswal”, a Holstein- Sahiwal cross, yielding 4000 kg of milk with 4% butter fat in a mature lactation of 300 days. The evolution of Frieswal has been progressing by utilizing the existing crossbred herds available at 36 Military Farms located in various agro-climatic regions of the country.

B. GENETIC STUDIES ON PERFORMANCE OF IMPORTANT INDIGENOUS BREEDS OF CATTLE AND THEIR IMPROVEMENT THROUGH PROGENY TESTING- INDIGENOUS BREEDS PROJECT (IBP)

The project is being operated in the home tracts of three indigenous cattle breeds viz., Gir, Kankrej and Sahiwal in collaboration with various State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes since 2010. The project is primarily aimed to conserve, propagate and improve the genetic potential of these three famous indigenous cattle breeds. The technical programme of the project envisages the establishment of germplasm (GP) and data recording units (DR) for each breed by registering the animals maintained under farm and field conditions, respectively. The young bulls born out of the nominated mating of elite cows at the germplasm centre will be reared for induction in a set for progeny tested program.

C.    FIELD PROGENY TESTING OF FRIESWAL BULLS- FPT

An ad-hoc research scheme of ICAR on `Progeny testing of crossbred bulls under village conditions` was first started in the year 1985-86 at BAIF Development Research Foundation, Uruli-Kanchan (Maharashtra) and two Agricultural Universities at Ludhiana (Punjab) and Mannuthy (Kerala) for standardization of the performance recording systems at farmers` herds and to develop progeny testing procedures under field conditions. Based on the results obtained in the project, the present program started during 1992 for progeny testing of Frieswal and other crossbred bulls having a maximum 75% of HF inheritance. Presently the project is undertaken at four field units viz., GADVASU, Ludhiana, BAIF, Pune, KVASU, Mannuthy and GBPUA&T, Pantnagar.

Project Coordinator   :Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Director

  ICAR-CIRC, Meerut

Phone No.0121-2657136, 2645598

Fax: 0121-2657134

E-mail: director.circ@icar.gov.in

Project In charge        : Dr.Umesh Singh, Principal Scientist(AG&B)

                                        ICAR-CIRC, Meerut

                                        Mobile no. 09456036817

E-mail: umesh.singh1@icar.gov.in

1.  Frieswal Project

Principal Investigator   : Dr. Sushil Kumar

                                      Mobile no. 09456295150

E-mail: chaturvedisk@gmail.com

Associated Units

·        Frieswal Project, Directorate of Frieswal Project, Meerut Cantt. – 250001 (Uttar Pradesh). The Director, MF, Meerut.

2.  Indigenous Breeds Project

Principal Investigator   : Dr.Umesh Singh

Mobile no. 09456036817

E-mail: umesh.singh1@icar.gov.in

Associated Units

·        Gir Unit, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh-362001 (Gujarat). Dr.B. D. Savaliya PI

·        Kankrej Unit, Livestock Research Station (LRS), SardarkrushinagarDantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar- 385 506 (Gujarat). Dr. H. H. Panchasara, PI

·        Sahiwal GP Unit, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132 001 (Haryana). Dr. Anupama Mukherjee, PI

·        Sahiwal DR Unit, College of Veterinary Science, Department of LPM, GBPUAT, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). Dr. Shive Kumar, PI

·        SahiwalDR Unit, Guru AngadDevVety. & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004 (Punjab). Dr. SimarjeetKaur, PI

·        SahiwalDR Unit,LalaLajpatRai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar (Haryana). Dr.S. S. Dhaka, PI

3.  Field Progeny Testing Project

Principal Investigator   :         Dr. A. K. Das

Mobile no. 09411959355

E-mail: achintya137@yahoo.com

Associated Units

·        FPT Unit, Central Research Station, BAIF Development Research Foundation, Uruli-Kanchan, Pune-412 202 (Maharastra). Dr. R. L. Bhagat,PI

·        FPT Unit, Livestock Production and Management, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar-263 145 (Uttarkhand). Dr. C. B. Singh, Professor & PI

·        FPT Unit, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Mannuthy-680 651, Trichur (Kerala). Dr. K.Anilkumar, Professor & PI

·        FPT Unit, Guru AngadDevVety. & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana-141 004 (Punjab). Dr. P. P. Dubey, Assistant Professor & PI