Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting semen production and quality characteristics of Gir cattle breed under semi-arid climate

Veterinary World, EISSN: 2231-0916 Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.13/August-2020/32.pdf RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting semen production and quality characteristics of Gir cattle breed under semi-arid climate K. G. Bhave1 , K. Thilak Pon Jawahar1, P. Kumarasamy2 , T. Sivakumar3, C. Joseph4, T. Shirsath5 P. Deshmukh5 and R. Venkataramanan6 , 1. Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 2. Controller of Examinations, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 3. Dean, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India; 4. Director of Research, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 5. Frozen semen laboratory, BAIF, Development Research Foundation, Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar, Uruli Kanchan, Pune, Maharashtra, India; 6. Livestock Farm Complex, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Corresponding author: K. G. Bhave, e-mail: Co-authors: KTPJ: , PK: , TS: , CJ: , TSh: , PD: , RV: Received: 28-03-2020, Accepted: 07-07-2020, Published online: 27-08-2020 doi: www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2020.1714-1718 How to cite this article: Bhave KG, Thilak Pon Jawahar K, Kumarasamy P, Sivakumar T, Joseph C, Shirsath T, Deshmukh P, Venkataramanan R (2020) Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting semen production and quality characteristics of Gir cattle breed under semi-arid climate, Veterinary World, 13(8): 1714-1718. Abstract Aim: This study aims to evaluate genetic and non-genetic factors influencing semen production potential of Gir bulls. Materials and Methods: Data on semen quantity (n=6911) and quality (n=466) available from January 2011 to December 2018 at BAIF’s frozen semen station, Jind, Haryana, India, were utilized for the study. Factors, namely, season of collection, age at collection, and bull (random effect) were studied for their effect on quantitative and qualitative semen traits. Least square means for the traits were obtained using a general linear model. The effect of age within bull for repeatable traits was analyzed using a longitudinal model with age as the control variable. Multivariate analysis using mixed repeatability model equation was utilized to estimate bull effect correlation (genetic + permanent environmental correlation), phenotypic correlations, and repeatability. Results: The overall least square means of ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperms, initial and post-thaw motility, hypo-osmotic swelling test, and acrosome integrity of frozen semen were 6.62±0.03 ml, 1.22±0.01 109/ml, 8.09±0.05 109/ml ejaculate, 75.78±0.001%, 55.92±0.0001%, 55.13±0.005%, and 71.08±0.001%, respectively. The season of the collection showed a significant effect on volume, concentration, total sperm, and initial motility. The performance of bulls was superior in summer season, followed by winter and monsoon. Increase in semen attributes during summer season was due to the effect of lower temperature on sensitive stages of spermatogenesis. Age at collection had a significant effect on all semen traits. Volume and total sperm count showed increasing trend while concentration showed a decreasing trend with an increase in age. Motility and quality traits did not show any particular pattern. Individual bulls showed differences in all the semen performance traits with age. The repeatability of the traits ranged from 0.04 (HOST) to 0.58 (acrosome integrity). Bull effect correlation ranged from −0.73 (initial motility and acrosome integrity) to 0.93 (HOST and acrosome integrity). Conclusion: Individual bulls showed variation in traits measured over age. The result of the study could be utilized in suggesting suitable management plans to achieve the desired profit by improving semen quality in Gir bulls. Keywords: Gir, longitudinal analysis, repeatability, bull effect, and semen production. Introduction Artificial insemination (AI) technique is considered a boon to the livestock industry. AI is a matter of great significance due to large-scale use of very few genetically superior sires to cover a large female population. As per the breeding policy of Government of India, selective breeding and upgrading of non-descript bovine population using frozen Copyright: Bhave, et al. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Veterinary World, EISSN: 2231-0916 semen from indigenous cattle is recommended. Gir breed is a recognized milk purpose breed of India which has been extensively used for selective breeding and upgrading of non-descript cattle population. Gir cattle breed is also known for their heat tolerance resistance to disease and ability to survive on lowgrade feeding resource. As per the 20th livestock census, the population of indigenous cattle has declined by around 6% [1] and there is an urgent need to increase the number of good quality semen doses from superior bulls. Quantity and quality of semen are sensitive to environmental factors. Information regarding effect of season and age at collection on semen characters of different indigenous breeds such as Nellore [2], Sahiwal [3], Red Sindhi [4], and Amritmahal [5] 1714 Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.13/August-2020/32.pdf are available in literature. However, information on semen characteristics of Gir bulls is scarce. These studies available are limited to basic descriptive statistics and based on a small sample size. Moreover, there is a paucity of literature on genetic parameters of semen traits in Gir bulls. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of age and season on semen traits and to estimate their genetic parameters in Gir cattle breed. Materials and Methods Ethical approval Ethical approval was not necessary for this study as no experimental animals were used. Data Data on semen quantity (n=6911) and quality (n=466) of 38 Gir bulls, available from January 2011 to December 2018 at BAIF’s frozen semen station, Jind, Haryana, India, were utilized for the study. Farm location and climate The BAIF frozen semen station is located in Haryana state, India, on the outskirts of Jind city (29.3159° N, 76.4896° E) at an altitude of 227 m above sea level. The reg (...truncated)