MOET TECHNOLOGY TO PRESERVE ONGOLE BULL EMBRYOS

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2004
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THE Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) is considering export of the frozen embryos of Ongole cattle following a break-through achieved by its scientists at the livestock research station (LRS) in
Guntur in application of the multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) technology.
  There is a good demand for the embryos of Ongole cattle in the US, Indonesia, Canada and almost all the Latin American countries. In fact, Brazil today is selling Ongole cattle embryos at $300 each. The University
has already received enquiries from Canada for supply of these embryos.
In India, the LRS scientists transferred 10 embryos at the instance of Glaxo's Diary Division at a nominal charge of Rs 1,000 per transfer, according to the ANGRAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr I.V. Subba Rao. He told Express here on Thursday that the LRS scientists have so far collected 129 embryos of which 72 were transferable.
 Till date, LRS scientists have transferred embryos using MOET technology in 18 cows. Of
the 18 pregnancies thus established, 7 calves were born while 10 pregnancies were due for calving. The authenticity of these embryo transfers was verified and confirmed using DNA finger printing technique at the
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology here.
 In embryo transfer, embryos will be collected from a donor female and transferred to a recipient female (surrogate mother) which carries it till the birth of the calf. A donor can be repeatedly used for production
of embryos. Using the procedure called ``super ovulation'', the donors are induced to release more eggs in one oestrus cycle that occurs once in 18-24 days. This process is popularly known as MOET.
 Dr Rao said Ongole cattle were heavy, hardy, and disease-resistant and has excellent capacity to thrive on scanty dry fodder. The breed had gained much importance in other countries, especially in Brazil, for beef
and milk production. The university was maintaining a herd of more than 500 pure Ongole animals at its LRS in Guntur for breeding and multiplying the cattle at a faster pace.
 The Rs 36-lakh programme for conservation of Ongole breed of cattle had started in July 2000 at the LRS under the National Agricultural Technology project funded by the World Bank.
 Now, Dr Rao said, ANGRAU was planning to use the MOET technology on buffalos at its Buffalo Research Station at Venkataramanna Gudem in West Godavari district.