PRESENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF PERFORMANCE ASPECTS OF MURRAH BUFFALO: A REVIEW

The dairy industry's success in India is much dependent on buffaloes and the level of production and reproduction traits of productive animals. Murrah buffalo is the most productive buffalo breed; an attempt was made to explore this productive breed for its genetic improvements and further research. To improve productivity and obtain efficient reproduction of milch animals, it is necessary to understand the factors that affect performance traits. Those traits depend on various genetic and non-genetic factors that introduce biasness in estimating the phenotypic value of the desired performance trait. Absence of accurate phenotypic value of the traits makes it difficult to estimate the genetic parameters of the traits that determine the optimum selection criterion for the animals as planned in the improvement programme. Also, evaluating the genetic parameters and the breeding value of animals requires an assumption of adjustment of phenotypic measurements for non-genetic factors that can affect performance traits (calving period, calving season, age at calving and parity of animal). This review summarises the effects of non-genetic factors on performance traits and means or averages of various performance traits obtained by various researchers in past ten years in buffaloes. The performance traits of Murrah buffaloes studied and published in past decade i.e., 2010 to 2020 revealed variability in total lactation milk yield (1365.08 ±2.98 kg to 2229.87 ±93.70 kg), in 305 Day lactation Milk Yield (1754.79 ±28.57 kg to 2147.6 ±87.06 kg), and in Peak Yield (8.87 ±0.05 kg/day to 10.55 ±0.25 kg/day). Lactation length varies from 286.08 ±2.23 days to 344.0 ±102.0 days, service period from 146.28 ±5.58 days to 225.0 ±5.5 days and dry period from 173.34 ±5.59 days to 230.2 ±4.9 days.

Conclusion: Larger age at first calving and more extended dry period are significant problems for farmer. Temperament, along with Body conformation traits, should also be given due importance in the selection criterion. Genes related to increasing tolerance for drastic temperature variation in environment, parasitic load, mastitis and disease resistance should be studied for early selection.