Modern biotechnological tools for enhancing reproductive efficiency in livestock

Abstract

Farm animals, an important component of agriculture in Asia and other countries of the world plays a pivotal role in agricultural economy in the form of meat, milk and drought power. This important animal resource needs to be genetically improved owing to considerable dependence of the state economy, food chain as well as the farmer’s security upon them. The limitation to genetic improvement imposed by inherent biological factors can be overcome by the use of reproductive bio-techniques which aim to manipulate reproduction - related events and/or structures to achieve pregnancy with the final aim of producing healthy offspring in the females. Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) manipulate structures and/or events related to ovulation, fertilization and embryo transfer. It corners around manipulation of female/male reproductive tract physiology, biochemistry, health and thereby longevity. Recently developed bio-techniques used for improving reproductive efficiency of farm animals include artificial insemination, gamete and embryo freezing, multiple ovulation and embryo transfer technologies, in vitro embryo production, ovum pick-up, cloning by nuclear transfer (NT) of embryonic and somatic cells, stem cell biology and transgenics. Use of these techniques could enable scientists and researchers to understand and overcome the key issues responsible for limiting full utilization of buffalo to improve the economy.