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An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of supplementing a-tocopherol at two different concentrations to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium (TCM 199 culture medium) on in vitro maturation and cleavage of buffalo oocytes. Ovaries were collected from local slaughter house. Oocytes were collected by aspiration method and were matured in IVM medium (T0, control), IVM medium supplemented with a-tocopherol @ 10 µg/ml (T1) and IVM medium supplemented with a-tocopherol @ 20 µg/ml (T2). The mean cytoplasmic maturation rate was 82.39 ± 0.81, 88.81 ± 1.08, 81.67 ± 1.82% and nuclear maturation rate was 62.50 ± 8.33, 87.50 ± 5.59, 66.66 ± 7.68% in T0, T1 and T2 groups, respectively. The fertilized oocytes reaching 2-cell and 4-cell stages of cleavage for T0, T1 and T2 groups were 14.92 ± 1.52, 32.39 ± 1.01 and 16.39 ± 1.25%, respectively. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher level of cytoplasmic maturation rate, nuclear maturation rate and cleavage rate was observed in IVM medium supplemented with a-tocopherol @10 µg/ml than other two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic polymorphism in Ovine MTNR1A of two tropical breeds ie., highly prolific NARI Suwarna sheep and Mandya sheep from southern peninsular region of India with respect to differential fertility. Fifty animals from each breed were randomly selected and subjected to RsaI-RFLP analysis of exon-2 of Ovine MTNR1A. The study revealed monomorphic patterns in all the animals for both the breeds. PCR amplicon of 824 bp fragments with four cut sites at 53 bp, 320 bp, 343 bp and 754 bp, resulted in 411 bp, 267 bp, 70 bp, 53 bp and 23 bp. Only presence of CC genotypes at rs406779174 SNP of Ovine MTNR1A in both the breeds supports non-seasonality in breeding of these animals and no association of SNP with increased fecundity of NARI Suwarna sheep over Mandya sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted in selected shandies of Hassan district to analyze the trading practices of the farmers with respect to livestock. About 200 participants i.e., 90 sellers, 90 buyers and 20 intermediaries were included in the study. Results revealed that livestock trading was negotiable business. About 45 percent of the farmers visited 3 to 4 shandies in a week. Livestock business was more active in the morning hours of the day. About 43 percent of the famrmers sold the animals due to distress. It was found that 54.5 percent of the farmers revealed that animals were transported through walk. Among the respondents 54.44 percent of buyers and 62.22 percent of sellers were dependent on the middlemen. Further 55 percent of the middlemen were marginal and 35 percent were landless. Most of the participants in the shandies were landless to marginal farmers. Livestock business was also a source of livelihood to many of the farmers and middlemen. The sales were completely unorganized without any weighing facility for the small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]