Association between age at first calving, first lactation traits and lifetime productivity in Murrah buffaloes.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate the association of age at first calving (AFC) with first lactation traits as well as lifetime performance traits in Murrah buffaloes. METHODS: Data on first lactation and life time performance of Murrah buffaloes (n = 679), maintained at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period 1983 through 2017, were deduced to calculate heritability estimates, genetic and phenotypic correlation of different first lactation and lifetime traits. The univariate animal model was fitted to estimate variance components and heritability separately for each trait, while bivariate animal models were set to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits under study. RESULTS: The heritability was high for first peak milk yield (FPY, 0.64±0.08), moderate for AFC (0.48±0.07) and breeding efficiency (BE 0.39±0.09). High genetic correlations of first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY) with first lactation standard milk yield (FLSMY, 305 days or less), FPY, and first lactation length (FLL) was seen. Likewise, genetic correlation of AFC was positive with FLTMY, FLL, first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI), herd life (HL) and productive days (PD). Significant phenotypic correlation of FLTMY was observed with HL, productive life (PL), PD, total lifetime milk yield (LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY). Moreover, positive genetic and phenotypic correlation of FPY was observed with HL, PL, PD, total LTMY and standard LTMY. CONCLUSION: This study reports that AFC had positive genetic correlation with FDP, FSP, FCI, and unproductive days while, negative association of AFC was observed with FLSMY, PL, total LTMY, standard LTMY, and BE. This suggests that reduction of AFC would results in improvement of lifetime performance traits.

Immune response against subclinical haemonchosis in Himalayan hill goats.

Haemonchosis commonly occurs as chronic and subclinical infection in small ruminants, and understanding of immunological response against subclinical haemonchosis is of paramount importance for designing and implementing effective control strategies. The present study was designed to evaluate immunological response during subclinical haemonchosis, experimentally established in goats. Sixteen 5-6 month-old helminth naive kids were randomly allocated into one of two groups, infected and uninfected; the infected group being infected per os with 250 Haemonchus contortus larvae per kg body weight. Faecal, blood and serum samples were collected every third day up to 30 days post-infection (DPI), thereafter weekly up to 58 DPI to record changes in faecal egg count (FEC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), peripheral eosinophil percentage and immunological parameters, such as macrophage cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12), Th1 cytokine (IFN-γ), Th2 cytokines (IL-4, 13, 25, 33) and immunoglobulins (IgG and IgE). Pre-patent period of H. contortus in the present study was 18 days and eggs per gram (EPG) peaked on 30 DPI. The total reduction in body weight gain in the infected group was 26 g per day when compared with uninfected animals. Hb (7.35 ± 0.34 g/dL in infected animals compared with 9.76 ± 0.67 in control animals) and PCV levels (22 ± 1.54 g/dL in infected animals compared with 29.2 ± 1.27 in control animals) decreased significantly up to 44 DPI in infected group (P = 0.000). IL-4, IL-13, IL-33, IgG and IgE showed significant increase in infected animals at different periods. IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-25 did not show any significant changes barring a steep rise of IFN-γ on 27 DPI. A positive correlation was observed between IgE and IL-4 in subclinical haemonchosis. Of particular note was that all the major cytokines, such as IFN-γ (P = 0.000), IL-4 (P = 0.000), IL-13 (P = 0.009), and both IgG (P = 0.000) and IgE (P = 0.003), were observed at the lowest concentration on 24 DPI. The effect of infection was found to be significant on cytokines with a strong interaction with time. Taken together, the data suggest that Th2 immune response is predominating in subclinical haemonchosis. The economic loss in term of body weight gain due to subclinical haemonchosis was considerable.

Value addition of Palmyra palm and studies on the storage life.

Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer L.) belonging to the family Palmae is referred to as tree of life with several uses including food, beverage, fibre, medicinal and timber. Unfortunately, the nutritionally enriched pulp of ripened palm has limited commercial use. Extraction of pulp has been accomplished by using water and heat to ensure maximum pulp recovery. Different recipes were tried for the preparation of two uncommon value added products like palm spread and palm toffee. On the basis of biochemical composition, organoleptic scores, microbial estimation and storage study both under ambient and refrigerated conditions; the suitable recipe was selected with the maximum acceptability. Gradual increase in total soluble solid (TSS), total sugar and reducing sugar while decrease in ascorbic acid, pH, ß-carotene and protein content of processed products have been observed irrespective of storage condition. The results obtained from sensory evaluation and microbial status revealed that palm spread and toffee remained acceptable up to 9 months and 8 months, respectively at ambient temperature. The income per rupee investment for these two products was found to be remunerative.

Quality of diversified value addition from some minor fruits.

Diversified value added products like palm spread, palm toffee, palm burfi, passion-mango blended squash, passion rind pickle, passion rind candy, blended jamun nectar and jack-passion spread from various minor fruits including palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer L), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims), jamun (Syzygium cumini Rom) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam) were developed and their quality assessed. Among these two products viz. passion-mango blended squash and palm spread were rich in antioxidant properties. Passion rind pickle and passion-mango blended squash stored up to 1 year in sealed glass bottle under ambient temperature (25-37 °C). Similarly, passion-mango blended squash has a longer storage life of 15 months followed by jack-passion spread (14 months) under refrigerated temperature (8-10 °C). Passion rind pickle, jack-passion spread and passion-mango blended squash were the most acceptable with a score of above 3.5 out of 5.0. The microbial population of the products showed acceptable limit with respect to the yeast and bacterial count till their respective storage period.

Contraceptive coverage after medical termination of pregnancy.

PIP: Abortion has become a popular method of prevention of unwanted births in India since the passage in 1972 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. About 6 million procedures are performed each year. Of concern, however, is the failure on the part of many of these abortion patients to begin contraceptive use after pregnancy termination. To determine the extent of this problem and its sociodemographic correlates, an analysis was performed of the records of the 1482 abortion patients at an Agra hospital in 1976-85. Overall, contraceptive coverage after abortion was 53%; however, this rate fluctuated from 82% in 1976-77 to 15% in 1980-81 to a high of 90% in 1984-85. The methods most often selected by these women were tubectomy (25%), Nirodh (14%), oral contraceptives (8), and the IUD (6%). Contraceptive coverage was significantly higher in the final quarter of each year, presumably as a result of the efforts of family planning personnel to meet annual targets. Contraceptive coverage after abortion showed significant, positive associations with maternal age (39% in the 15-19-year age group versus 59% among those 30-34 years old), maternal education (41% among illiterate women compared to 62% among women with a high school education), and parity (18% among women of parity versus 45% among those of parity 1 and 62% among those to parity 4). Urban women were somewhat more likely to become contraceptive acceptors after abortion; however, tubectomy acceptance was highest among older rural women. These findings suggest that young, uneducated women should be targeted for counseling about the importance of contraceptive use after the termination of an unplanned pregnancy to avoid the need for repeat abortion.^ieng