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Anand Agricultural University, Anand
Anand Agricultural University (AAU) was established in 2004 at Anand with the support of the Government of Gujarat, Act No.(Guj 5 of 2004) dated April 29, 2004. Caved out of the erstwhile Gujarat Agricultural University (GAU), the dream institution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr. K. M. Munshi, the AAU was set up to provide support to the farming community in three facets namely education, research and extension activities in Agriculture, Horticulture Engineering, product Processing and Home Science. At present there seven Colleges, seventeen Research Centers and six Extension Education Institute working in nine districts of Gujarat namely Ahmedabad, Anand, Dahod, Kheda, Panchmahal, Vadodara, Mahisagar, Botad and Chhotaudepur
AAU's activities have expanded to span newer commodity sectors such as soil health card, bio-diesel, medicinal plants apart from the mandatory ones like rice, maize, tobacco, vegetable crops, fruit crops, forage crops, animal breeding, nutrition and dairy products etc. the core of AAU's operating philosophy however, continues to create the partnership between the rural people and committed academic as the basic for sustainable rural development. In pursuing its various programmes AAU's overall mission is to promote sustainable growth and economic independence in rural society. AAU aims to do this through education, research and extension education. Thus, AAU works towards the empowerment of the farmers.
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ThesisItem Open Access MONITORING POSTPARTUM REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN KANKREJ COWS THROUGH CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, BLOOD PROFILE AND HORMONAL THERAPY(AAU, Anand, 2012) NAIKOO, MEHRAJUDDIN; Dhami, A. J.The present study was carried out at Livestock Research Station of the University on 42 Kankrej cows of 2nd to 4th parity. The chief objectives were: to monitor the early postpartum period (0-90 days) clinically and through plasma profile of progesterone, metabolites and macro-micro minerals at 10 days intervals; to evaluate the efficacy of a sustained release mineral supplement (Mega bolus PO) on the day of calving and five oestrus induction and synchronization protocols (Ovsynch, CIDR, Ovsynch + CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α) on day 90-95 postpartum towards augmenting reproductive efficiency of anestrous and subestrous cows (6 animals in each group), keeping 6 normal cyclic animals as control, and its effect on above profile till day 40 post-treatment/post- AI, and to compare plasma profiles of conceived and non-conceived cows at first Al. The time required for expulsion of fetal membranes, weight of expelled fetal membranes and the birth weight of calf (pure and crossbred) were 5.04 ± 2.0 hrs, 2.84 ± 0.76 kg and 24.29 ± 1.54 kg, respectively. The Kankrej cows showed complete uterine involution by mean interval of 36.80 ±1.21 (range 32-45) days postpartum. The interval for occurrence of first oestrus postpartum clinically and through plasma P4 profile was 105.49 ± 1.66 (range 86-106) and 56.42 ± 3.88 (range 30-80) days, respectively (P<0.05). The first service and overall conception rates obtained at spontaneous/ induced oestrus, within 150 days postpartum were 30.95 (13/42) and 40.47 (17/42) per cent. The comparative evaluation of the efficacy of five oestrus induction/ synchronization protocols tested, on 6 cows each, viz. Ovsynch, CIDR, Ovsynch + CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α revealed oestrus induction response of 66.66, 83.33, 50.00, 66.66 and 66.66 per cent, respectively, with behavioural signs at FTAI as confirmed by palpation per rectum. The first service conception rates obtained were 16.66, 33.33, 16.66, 50.00 and 50.00 per cent, respectively, as compared to 33.33 per cent in normal cyclic control cows. The corresponding second service conception rates were nil, 25.00, 20.00, nil, nil and nil per cent, as compared to 25.00 per cent in untreated control animals. The overall conception rates of three cycles over the 45 days period were 33.33, 50.00, 33.33, 50.00 and 50.00 per cent, respectively, as against 50.00 per cent in normal cyclic group. The results of CIDR, Cosynch and PGF2α protocols were better than the Ovsynch and normal control groups.ThesisItem Open Access EFFECT OF PROGESTERONE AND HEAT STRESS ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF DAIRY COWS AND VALIDATION OF CONTINUOUS BODY TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN IDENTIFYING ESTRUS(AAU, Anand, 2012) SUTHAR, VISHAL S.; Dhami, A. J.The present study with four experiments and manifold objectives were conducted on German (HF) dairy cows at or affiliated farm facilities of Clinic for Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany, during January 2010 to June 2012. The overall objectives of this study were to evaluate: 1) performance of temperature data logger in in vitro and in vivo conditions, 2) validity of BT to identify induced estrus, 3) effect of exogenous and endogenous P4 on BT of dairy cows and 4) and to study effect of heat stress on BT and postpartum performance of dairy cows. In first study to evaluate performance of temperature data logger (Minilog 8, Vemco Ltd., Halifax, Canada), three sub-experiments were conducted. The study began with an in vitro validation of 24 temperature loggers comparing them to a calibrated liquid-in-glass thermometer as a reference method (sub-experiment 1). The association and agreement between the 24 temperature loggers with the reference method was r = 0.996 (P < 0.001) and a negligible coefficient of variance (0.005) between the loggers. In vivo temperature loggers were tested in 11 healthy postpartum cows (sub-experiment 2) and 12 early postpartum cows with greater BT (sub-experiment 3). Temperature loggers were set to record VT and RT at 1 min intervals. To prevent rectal and vaginal straining and potential expulsion of temperature logger an epidural injection of 2.5 ml of 2% Procain was administered. Association between RT and VT was r = 0.92 (P < 0.001) in sub-experiment 2 and r = 0.94 (P < 0.001) in sub-experiment 3 with a negligible difference of -0.1 and 0.01°C, respectively. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated an agreement between RT and VT for healthy and early postpartum cows with greater BT in sub-experiment 2 and 3, respectively. Therefore, continuous VT monitoring with temperature loggers can be used as a measure for BT in dairy cows.ThesisItem Open Access COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF EGG YOLK AND SOYA BASED EXTENDERS FOR REFRIGERATION (5 °C) AND CRYOPRESERVATION (-196 °C) OF BUFFALO SEMEN(AAU, Anand, 2014) Dineshkumar Chaudhary V.; Dr A.J. DhamiThe present investigation was undertaken during the favourable breeding season (November-February) of the year 2013-2014 on six mature Surti buffalo bulls at Central Sperm Station of Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the Veterinary College, AAU, Anand. The study covered evaluation of seminal characteristics in neat semen and then comparative efficacy of egg yolk based standard TFYG (Tris-citric acid-fructoseegg yolk-glycerol) extender and soybean based commercially available extenders (Bioxcell® and Optixcell®, IMV, France) using split-ejaculate technique through various morphological and functional attributes of spermatozoa extended/preserved/ processed in these extenders for refrigeration preservation (at 5°C up to 72 hrs) and cryopreservation (-196°C), including interrelationships of quality sperm parameters of fresh, refrigerated and cryopreserved semen. Immediately after collection, the ejaculates (8 per bull) were evaluated for routine physico-morphological attributes, including motility, viability, morphology (eosinnigrosin), acrosomal integrity (Giemsa stain) and plasma membrane integrity (HOST 150 mOsm/L; an in vitro fertility test) through standard procedures and using phase contrast microscope. The ejaculates were divided in to three equal aliquots, and extended at the concentration of 100 ×106 spermatozoa ml-1 at 34°C with 3 different extenders. Small portions of the extended semen samples (2 ml from each aliquot) were transferred to a refrigerator for 5°C preservation and evaluated at 24 hrs interval up to 72 hrs for above quality parameters. The remaining portions of extended semen samples were used for filling the French mini straws on IS4 system (IMV, France). After gradual cooling over 60-90 minutes and equilibration for 4 hrs in cold handling cabinet, the straws were frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour using a programmable bio-freezer (Digitcool 5300 CE ZH 350, IMV, France). The straws of all three extenders were evaluated at pre-freezing (after equilibration) and after 24 hrs of freezing (post-freeze stage) for the above quality parameters. Post-thaw incubation test (37 ºC) was also performed to evaluate sperm survival at 30 and 60 min of incubation. The mean values of ejaculate volume, density (1-4 score), sperm concentration, mass activity (0-5 score), individual sperm motility, live sperm, intact acrosome and HOS reactive sperms observed in fresh semen were 3.43±0.10 ml, 2.14±0.11, 744.90± 36.38 million/ml, 3.45±0.07, 78.54±0.51 per cent, 90.48±0.33 per cent, 94.40±0.20 per cent and 79.35±0.42 per cent, respectively. The variation between bulls was significant (P<0.05) for most of these traits. The overall segment-wise per cent abnormalities of sperm head, midpiece and tail region recorded in fresh semen were 1.83±0.09 0.88±0.06 and 3.44±0.08, respectively, with the total of 6.15±0.15 per cent. The mean percentages spermatozoa having swollen, ruffled, detached and denuded acrosome in fresh semen were found to be 2.29±0.08, 1.60±0.10, 1.10±0.09 and 0.60±0.08, respectively. The overall pooled mean percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa (irrespective of extenders) observed on dilution (0-hr), and after 24, 48, 72 hrs of refrigeration preservation of semen at 5°C were 78.54±0.30, 68.30±0.30, 59.38±0.35 and 51.63±0.47. The corresponding values for live sperm per cent were 90.48±0.19, 76.89± 0.51, 69.51±0.35 and 61.86±0.45; those of morphologically normal sperm per cent 93.85±0.08, 90.70±0.11, 89.08±0.10 and 87.66±0.10; intact acrosome per cent 94.40± 0.12, 88.22±0.13, 84.60±0.14 and 81.70±0.17, and HOS reactive sperm (intact plasma membrane) per cent 79.35±0.24, 65.99±0.31, 57.69±0.36 and 50.70±0.43, respectively, all of which differed highly significantly (P<0.01) between storage intervals. The mean percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa observed in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at 24, 48, 72 hrs of refrigeration storage were 70.31±0.46, 68.33±0.45, 66.25±0.46; 61.46±0.51, 59.79±0.58, 56.88±0.55, and 53.85± 0.75, 52.50±0.68, 48.54±0.84, respectively. The corresponding values for live sperm per cent in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at three intervals were 78.35±1.36, 77.35±0.46, 74.96±0.47; 71.96±0.48, 69.90±0.54, 66.67±0.54, and 64.38±0.70, 62.56± 0.65, 58.65±0.78, and those of morphologically normal sperms were 91.37±0.16, 90.65±0.15, 89.79±0.14; 90.08±0.15, 88.20±0.11, 88.25±0.12, and 88.54±0.12, 87.35± 0.14, 87.08± 0.15, respectively. The mean percentages of spermatozoa with intact acrosomes observed in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at 24, 48, 72 hrs of refrigeration storage were 89.27±0.20, 88.15±0.18, 87.25±0.21; 85.58±0.24, 84.63± 0.18, 83.60±0.24, and 82.83± 0.27, 81.67±0.23, 80.60±0.30, respectively. The corresponding values for sperms with intact plasma membrane (HOS reactive sperms) in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at three intervals were 68.10±0.46, 66.04±0.50, 63.81±0.45; 60.00±0.55, 57.92±0.55, 55.15±0.56, and 53.40±0.68, 51.35±0.60, 47.35±0.68, respectively. The results were significantly (P<0.05) superior with Optixcell followed by TFYG extender than with the Bioxcell. There were gradual and significant (P<0.05) decline in progressively motile, viable, morphologically normal, acrosomal intact and plasma membrane intact sperm per cent in all the three extenders with each increase in 24 hourly storage interval at 5°C. The overall pooled mean percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa observed (irrespective of extenders) at initial, pre-freeze and post-thaw stage of buffalo semen were 78.54±0.30, 69.48±0.26, and 47.33±0.52. The corresponding values for live sperm per cent were 90.48±0.19, 79.39±0.28 and 56.90±0.52; those of morphologically normal sperm per cent 93.85±0.08, 92.14±0.10 and 87.88±0.12; intact acrosome per cent 94.40±0.12, 89.55±0.14 and 77.08±0.17, and HOS reactive sperm (intact plasma membrane) per cent 79.35±0.24, 67.94±0.26 and 45.05±0.52, respectively, all of which differed significantly (P<0.01) between freezing stages. The overall mean post-thaw incubation (37°C) survival of spermatozoa immediately after thawing (0-min), and after 30- and 60-min of post-thaw incubation was 47.33±0.85, 41.67±0.85 and 34.62±0.82 per cent (P<0.01), respectively. The mean percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa observed in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at pre-freeze and post-thaw stages were 70.94± 0.38, 69.48±0.37, 68.02±0.49, and 49.90±0.90, 47.71±0.79, 44.38±0.85, respectively. The corresponding values for live sperm per cent in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at pre- and post-freeze stage were 81.58±0.38, 79.21±0.39, 77.38±0.48, and 59.67±0.91, 57.19±0.79, 53.85±0.84; and those of morphologically normal sperms 92.92±0.15, 92.10±0.14, 91.40±0.16, and 88.73±0.18, 87.67±0.17, 87.25±0.21, respectively. The mean percentages of spermatozoa with intact acrosomes observed in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at pre-freeze and post-thaw stage were 90.52± 0.21, 89.54±0.18, 88.58±0.22, and 78.50±0.25, 76.83±0.23, 75.90±0.27, respectively. The corresponding values for sperms with intact plasma membrane (HOS reactive sperms) in Optixcell, TFYG and Bioxcell extenders at pre-freeze and post-thaw stage were 70.23±0.37, 67.96±0.32, 65.65±0.42, and 47.81±0.90, 45.02±0.84 and 42.31±0.82, respectively. The results were significantly (P<0.05) superior in Optixcell followed by TFYG extender as compared to the Bioxcell extender. The mean percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa observed immediate after thawing in TFYG, Bioxcell and Optixcell extenders were 47.71±0.79, 44.38±0.85 and 49.90±0.90, respectively. The corresponding motility values after 30-min of postthaw incubation were 41.98±0.80, 38.44±0.82 and 44.58±0.93 per cent, and those of 60- min of incubation were 35.52±0.79, 31.15±0.85 and 37.19±0.81 per cent, respectively. The results showed that the commercial soya based Optixcell as well as standard egg yolk based TFYG extenders could sustain better and acceptable level of sperm survival at least for 1-hr after thawing. The overall mean percentages of sperms with abnormal head, mid-piece and tail and those with different forms of acrosomal defects like swollen, ruffled, detached and denuded acrosome also followed the pattern of morphologically normal sperm and intact acrosomes during different intervals of refrigeration as well as cryopreservation of extended buffalo semen in different extenders. The values of all these traits differed significantly (P < 0.05) between storage intervals, and increased with increase in storage duration at 5°C or in post-thawed over pre-freeze stage. The sperm protective ability of Optixcell extender was superior followed by TFYG and the least of Bioxcell. The pre-freeze and post-thaw sperm motility, viability, morphology, acrosomal integrity and plasma membrane integrity recorded in all three extenders followed the same trend of declining in each extender at post-thaw over pre-freeze stage. Optixcell was significantly superior, and at par with TFYG, than the Bioxcell in maintaining greater motility, viability, morphology, acrosomal / plasma membrane integrity of buffalo spermatozoa during cryopreservation process as well as in terms of keeping quality at refrigeration (5°C) preservation also. There were significant (P<0.01) interrelationships between sperm motility, viability, normal morphology, intact acrosome and plasma membrane integrity in fresh, refrigerated and cryopreserved buffalo semen, which proved that initial motility and membrane integrity can be used as predicative measures in routine semen evaluation.ThesisItem Open Access MONITORING POSTPARTUM REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN GIR COWS THROUGH CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, BLOOD PROFILE AND HORMONAL THERAPY”(Anand Agricultural University, Anand, 2013) AMMU RAMAKRISHNAN; Dr. A.J. DhamiThe present study was carried out at Livestock Research Station of the University on 24 Gir cows of 2nd to 4th parity. The chief objectives were: to monitor the early postpartum period (0-90 days) clinically and through plasma profile of progesterone, metabolites and macro-micro minerals at 10 days intervals; to evaluate the efficacy of estrus induction and synchronization protocols (CIDR, Ovsynch and Cosynch) on day 90 postpartum for enhancing the reproductive efficiency of anestrous and subestrous cows (6 animals in each group), keeping 6 normal cyclic animals as control, and its effect on above profile till day 40 post-AI, and to compare plasma profiles of conceived and nonconceived cows at first AI. The time required for expulsion of fetal membranes, weight of expelled