RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

It is difficult if not impossible to get record on performance of animals under field conditions. Normally farmers donot keep any record including expenditures to maintain cows & buffaloes and its milk production. In view of this, there is unlimited scope of field oriented research for the benefit of farmers . To initiate and activate such researches / findings and generate some field level records which Graduate and Post-Graduate students can utilise for their accademic requirements , Rajkot Milk Union has made a MOU with the Junagardh Agricultural University, Junagardh.

Initially ,Research & Development activities will be focused on breeding and nutrition which includes ration balancing also.

There is unlimited scope of field oriented researches/findings in breeding, feeding and even management under different ecological conditions( mainly feeding and maintenance of animals by different class of farmers)

Dairy and Animal Husbandry activities differ grossly in Saurashtra specially at Rajkot as they are traditionally cotton and ground nut growers.

Performance of Gir Cows & Jaffrabadi buffaloes under modern improved management, comparison of their performance with well accepted cross breeding programme under field conditions open a big door of research findings.

Formulations of rations based on nutritive value of different feeds, fodder, grains, cakes and even greens available with the farmers with the help of computerization is a vast area of research in ration balancing under field conditions.

Breeding

Performance records of different parameters concerning breeding including A.I., milk production,lactation length, inter-calving period etc under field conditions are not available. These ecnomic traits are significantly correlated with the income of farmers. Research studies under field conditions can be initiated on the following areas:

• Correlation between birth weight of a female calf with its maturity/ puberty.
• Number of inseminations per conception.
• Onset of heat after calving.
• Inter-calving period under different managemental and feeding conditions.
• Performance of Gir cows, crossbred cows and Jaffrabadi buffaloes under different managemental conditions in different talukas.

Amongst all Indian breeds of cows, Gir cows are well known for A2 type of milk (Low fat and high essential fatty acids), a commercial field for infant milk powder industry. Studies in this field of A2 milk production from Gir cows and associated research activities on breeding,feeding etc is an open area.

Nutrition and Ration Balancing

Low milk production, reduced reproductive efficiency, disease problems etc of cows and buffaloes from birth till they are in production, and are mainly because of poor nutrition, insufficient feeding, lack of balanced quality cattle feed and mineral mixture with trace elements. Even results of colostrum feeding are not available and good percentage of farmers may not know the advantages of colostrum.

Considering these aspects , the area of research in the field of Nutrition is vast open which may start from Calf feeding - colostrum and whole milk , milk replacer, calf starter, light digestible concentrates, chaffed succulent green and dry fodder. Feeding results with branded and unbranded cattle feed/mineral mixture, unconventional cakes are also not available.

It is possible to give balanced ration to cows and buffaloes with the feeds, fodders, grains available with the farmers after calculating its nutritive value and supplementing if necessary by simple computerized system "RATION BALANCING". Use of dry fodders, greens, concentrates, hay, silage etc for preparing "Total Mixed Ration" is another grey area of feeding research.