NATIONAL SEMINAR ON “INNOVATIONS AND RECENT ADVANCES IN REPRODUCTION FOR AUGMENTING SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION” AVIKANAGAR, 28-30 DECEMBER, 2006
The Plenary session of the National Seminar on “Innovations And Recent Advances In Reproduction For Augmenting Small Ruminant Production” was Chaired by Dr V.K. Singh, Director, Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar and Co-chaired by Dr N.P. Singh, Director, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom on 30th December in the New Auditorium of Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar. Dr S.M.K. Naqvi and Dr Anil Joshi acted as Rapporteurs in the session. The following recommendations emerged after the deliberations that took place during the seminar in the ‘Scientists, Farmers and Technocrats Interactive Meet’ and four Technical sessions on ‘Genomic Studies in Small Ruminant Reproduction’, ‘Reproductive Technologies for Augmenting Small Ruminant Production’, ‘Nutrition, Environment and Reproduction Interactions’ and ‘Reproductive Disorders, Disease Control and Field adoption of Reproductive Technologies’.
1. There is a need to develop an effective delivery mechanism for propagating artificial insemination programmes in small ruminants at the farmer’s door with a network of good inseminators and quality semen. The mechanism must be feasible and cost-effective for adoption in field by farmers.
2. The research by using high prolificacy of Garole sheep in developing new strains by FecB gene introgression in non-prolific native sheep needs further investigation with regards to its mothering ability, decreasing mortality and increasing the weaned lamb crop for enhancing market oriented lamb production in the country.
3. Nuclear technologies have tremendous potential for augmenting small ruminant production through reproduction. Intensive research should be carried out for control of ovulation, early embryonic development, embryo cloning, and production of transgenic animals to develop feasible assisted reproductive technologies for small ruminants. Stem cell research in small ruminants is still at the nascent stage. Intensive research should be carried out to utilize stem cell from embryos of elite animals for replacing low producing animals in the shortest possible time.
4. Nutritional deficiency as well as imbalances in nutrients content affect reproductive processes especially incidence of estrus, oocyte and spermatozoal development, ovulation and conception. There is a need to intensify research to identify specific nutritional factor(s) causing such effect and to take corrective measures.
5. Flushing after scarcity period improves the ovulation rate and reproductive efficiency. Study on change in hormonal level before and after has to be studied in detail and standardize the level of hormones necessary to produce such effect.
6. Malnutrition and under nutrition also affect the circulating hormone level like GnRH and LH etc, which ultimately influence the ovarian development affecting the reproduction of animals. This has to be further verified by conducting trials and assess these hormone levels in animals in the farmers’ flocks.
7. Certain Minerals like Cu, Zn, Co and Mn and Vitamins like Vitamin A and E play very important role in reproduction and production of animals. There is an urgent need to study the effect of supplementation of these minerals wherever deficiency is encountered to overcome the problem of reproduction on regional basis. Certain compound such as leptin grelin, insulin etc. identified to be influencing reproductive processes need to be further investigated to delineate their role.
8. Goats are browsers and their 80% of their diet is constituted by twigs and leaves, in arid and semi arid region. Most of the plant species are containing anti-nutritional factors like tannin, saponin and other polyphenolic compounds. These anti nutritional factors not only hamper the digestibility and absorption of nutrients but also affect the thyroid function, which create problem in energy utilization. Hence there is need to further study this aspect and identify the mechanisms that directly and indirectly affects the reproductive processes of small ruminants.
9. In vitro foetus development can serve as an excellent model in research for studying organogenesis, foetal differentiation diagnose all foetal and uterine abnormalities small ruminants.
10. International norms for phytosanitary measures and accreditation of gamete research laboratories must be developed at the national level for small ruminants for stringent regulation of exchange of superior germplasm and control of disease transmission through semen and embryos.
11. Awareness programmes on use of ultrasonography in sheep and goats be popularised firstly by training field veterinarians and secondly through KVK’s. Small Ruminant Obstetrics and Gynaecology should be a separate one-credit course for teaching in B.V.Sc & A.H and a detailed course at UG &PG level be introduced on ultrasonography especially in diagnosing pregnancy, abnormalities and disorders in small ruminants.
12. There should be participatory research approach of scientists with farmers in afforestation, grazing and community land development for sustainable small ruminant production. The approachable State Agricultural Universities and ICAR research institutes should provide all research information and essential inputs to the farmers for augmenting small ruminant production through reproduction. |
