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Dr. Mihir Sarkar

Artificial insemination in Yak with frozen semen

The National Research Centre on Yak (NRC-Yak), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh is the only ICAR institute for conservation of yak germplasm and development of yak husbandry in the country.  Recently Dr. Vinod Duttabaruah, Senior Research Fellow and Dr. Mihir Sarkar Scientist of NRC-Yak in collaboration with Dr. B.C. Deka, Dr. B.C. Sharma and Dr. P. C. Chakraborty, the Professors of College of Veterinary Science, AAU, Khanapara, Guwahati achieved a breakthrough in training yak bulls for semen collection.

 

A total of five genetically selected superior yak bulls maintained at National Research Centre on yak, Nyukmadun, Arunachal Pradesh were taken for the purpose. The bulls were trained and semen was collected from them using estrous yak cows as dummy following artificial vagina technique. Semen was collected once in a week. A total of 25 ejaculates were used for freezing of yak semen, and nearly 500 frozen yak straws were prepared.  

 

The post thaw motility was studied after one month, and found to be satisfactory. A total of 10 estrus animals comprising 9 yaks and 1 local cow were inseminated using frozen yak semen straws at late estrus. Pregnancy rate was determined on the basis of non-returning to estrus. Five number of the inseminated animals were observed to be not returning to estrus, estimating fertility rate to be 50%.  Inbreeding in yak herds is very common due to maintenance of improper herd size, and this problem has been found to be responsible for many reproductive disorders, poor production potential and ultimately rapid dwindling of yak population in India.

 

Therefore, use of frozen yak semen for artificial insemination in yak pockets in collaboration with state agencies has tremendous potential to ameliorate aforesaid problems of yak husbandry. Hence, development of yak frozen semen by NRC on Yak, ICAR for the first time in India may be considered as a breakthrough in yak husbandry.

 

 


 

   

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

Text Box: Training of yak bull for semen                    Collection 
Text Box: Yak bull mounting on dummy cow for semen collection
Text Box:    Semen collected   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

       Processing of yak semen                                                                    

 

 

 

                                 AI with frozen yak semen

 

 

 

 

                                                                           First Yak Calf born through embryo transfer                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Research Centre on Yak (NRC-Yak) Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh is the only ICAR institute for conservation and development of yak husbandry in the country. In the year 2004, Dr. M. Sarkar, Dr. K.P. Remesha, Dr. M. Bhattacharya, the Scientists of NRC-Yak in collaboration with Dr. B.C. Deka, Dr. B.C. Sharma and Dr. P. Chakraborty, the Professors of Collage of Veterinary Science, AAU, Khanapara, Guwahati conducted an experiment on EET in yak. One yak cow, superovulated with Folltropin-V, was used for collection of embryos.

 

Three numbers of embryos were successfully collected non-surgically from the donor yak cow. One of the transferable embryos (morula) was transferred to a recipient yak cow whose heat was synchronized with that of the donor. One female yak calf which was named ‘MISMO’ took birth from that recipient yak cow.

 

This was the pioneering work in yak ETT indicating prospect of implementing ETT in ex-situ conservation as well as for augmenting reproductive efficiency in yak.                      September 2008

 

Dr. Mihir Sarkar is a senior scientist in the National Research Centre on Yak, an ICAR project, at Dirang Arunachal Pradesh, India.

 
  
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