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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, September 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Base milk policy on cow Pest called pesticide eating into ecosystem Minerals that keep animals going Colostrum importance |
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Base milk policy on cow However, even a high-genetic-potential cow or buffalo would not be able to express it fully in terms of milk production without proper production environment and nutritious feeding, concepts of which Punjab farmers are virtually unaware at present. These two major factors inhibit the profitability of milk production. The economics of nutrition (see box) has to be fully understood vis a vis productivity.
Our buffaloes have poor genetic potential and fail to qualify as economic milk producers in spite of their high fat content in milk as milk production has to compete with cash and commercial crops. They calve for the first time at 4.5 years and their average lactational yield is 1,300kg only. Their lactation is hardly for 210 days. The inter-calving period is 15-18 months, which means the dry period is 270 to 330 days. The maintenance cost during this unproductive period raises the cost of milk production. Unfortunately, no better genetic material is available anywhere in the world for improving their productivity. Buffalo, thus, remains the poor man’s animal, which can be sustained on crop residues and grass under semi-starved and unhygienic conditions. The genetic potential and performance of our cows is equally unsatisfactory. In spite of the fact that we started crossbreeding long back, the outlook of the Directorate of Animal Husbandry has not gone much beyond health cover for animals. That is why several schemes like the “key village” programmes or the intensive cattle development projects did not lead to great success. We continue to rely on mopping up milk from an ever-increasing number of villages, while the quality of animals has degraded. Ironically, crossbred cows with high exotic blood do not find a place in the prevailing pattern of milk production. This is so because we have not been able to educate our consumers that the nutritional value of milk is not in its fat content, rather in its solids-non-fat (SNF) and that its yellow colour makes it richer in vitamins. There is also no rational milk pricing policy for encouraging dairy farming with crossbred cows. There is valid criticism that crossbreed cows are a failure in Punjab because of inefficient health and artificial insemination services and their being more susceptible to diseases. We have to be globa1ly competitive, and in that context our policy makers should redefine the policies for increasing the quantity of milk as a source of proteins and calcium (SNF) rather than buffalo milk rich in fat for providing energy. The world over milk containing 2 per cent fat is favoured. Accordingly, the extra fat from milk is extracted before processing and marketing. In this regard, the promotion of crossbred cows rather than buffalos as the mainstay of our milk policy is a must (see box). We need a new policy, strategy and approach for the production of cow milk in higher quantity and quality. This requires a class of progressive farmers with means to invest in quality crossbred cows. They would have to provide a quality production environment, including nutritional feeding. At present the average lactational productivity level of Punjab's crossbred cows is 3,000kg. This can easily be raised to 7,000kg in five years by introducing a hi-tech milk production programme. A villager should maintain cows and buffalos only if it makes economic sense. To expect the rural poor to be in milk production merely out of tradition is to perpetuate the present unsatisfactory socio-economic situation. Most milk producers carry on despite low returns because of the ready cash-flow factor. The real issue whether milk producers can optimise their herds to become dairy farmers with a decent income from milk production as an independent profession. All dairy countries of the world have evolved their own breeding indexes, taking into consideration the international standards for cost-effective milk production. Punjab should also work for attaining in five years a breeding index at hi-technology satellite dairy farms (with 20 or more animals) as under: —Inseminate selected crossbred cows with semen from high-productivity-proven sires (with over 10,000 kg lactation) out of the 10 HF strains identified by the FAO of the United Nations. —Rear female calves for early maturity to attain a weight of 250 kg at the age of 11-13 months for becoming pregnant and calving before they are 24 months old. —After normal calving, cows come in heat every 21 days. Watch them for heat on the 21st and 42nd days after calving, failing which they should be treated. Ensure that they get inseminated on the third heat, or 63 days after calving, and become pregnant. During summer, cool the cows and inseminate in shade. Inseminate twice with an interval of 2/3 hours for ensuring a better conception rate. —Cows must have a longevity and persistency of lactation, extending over 300 days. —Dry period of the cows should not be more than 65 days, which means a calving interval of only12 months. —Prefer heifers that get pregnant with one or two shots of insemination in a heat and cows that conceive on or before completing 84 days from calving. —Discard “leaky teats” cows, as they are more prone to mastitis. —During summer, cool the cows before milking. —By adopting proper farming technologies, increase fodder production from an acre of land to meet the green fodder requirement of five crossbred cows as against the present of three cows only and take to silage making from summer fodder crops in a big way.
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Pest called pesticide eating into ecosystem
THE self-dependence in foodgrains that we have today, owing to the high-yielding crop varieties, has been bought at a high price—our environment. These crops need heavy inputs of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. The extensive use of these chemicals has not only polluted our environment but also introduced a plethora of ailments for mankind. Synthetic pesticides sprayed on crops to check insect pests also kill non-target insects. These insects, besides being useful to mankind, also serve as alternative food for birds, thus helping maintain the ecosystem. They also play an important role in pollination. Due to the large-scale use of insecticides, insects, which outnumber any other species in the animal kingdom, are under threat—95 per cent of the wildlife of Punjab comprises insects. Bird population will decrease drastically in the absence of insects they feed on, which would further hinder pollination and seed dispersal. With fewer birds, the number of rats and other pests (fed upon by birds) would increase. This cycle is sure to disrupt the natural balance of the eco system. Birds are under threat even without the elimination of insects. Not long ago, the Bombay Natural History Society, upset by the dwindling number of vultures in India, had to sound a red alert for their preservation. Attack on non-target organisms (insects, fungi, algae, bacteria, etc.) is leading to a faster-than-ever wiping off of our rich biodiversity. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, prepared by the Government of India, has rightly taken note of this fact. Pest increase Equally serious is the destruction of the natural enemies of pests. Excessive use of pesticides also kills insect predators and parasites of insect pests. As a result, new species of crop pests appear, throwing new challenges and requiring newer pesticides in higher doses. The cycle goes on. This is not a hypothesis. There have been several such instances. One such was in Malaysia: following insecticide spray on cocoa plants, such a large number of new pests appeared in 1960 and 1961 that the use of pesticides had to be abandoned. In our country, insecticides have taken a heavy toll on bees along with other insects. Beehives, which used to be a common sight in the countryside, are disappearing. Dr M. S. Saini, a well-known entomologist, who has identified and classified insects collected from the oriental region by the United States National Museum in Washington, once visited a school at Kartarpur Momian village in Patiala in 2002. He was filled with joy to see a few beehives on a banyan tree in the school compound and congratulated the school staff for maintaining an old banyan tree and the beehives. He said that he had seen such beehives after a long time. This is sad commentary on the state of affairs. Humans affected These deadly chemicals cause serious ailments in humans too, ranging from indigestion and nervous disorders to cancer; in many cases, even instantaneous death. In India, cases of pesticide poisoning have been reported ever since 1953, when 102 persons died of ethyl parathion, the first insecticide to be introduced in the country. Extensive use of DDT was made during the National Malaria Eradication Programme started in 1958. By 1965, the cases of malaria declined to just 0.1 per cent of the number in 1952. Control over malaria in the Tarai region facilitated the opening up of new areas for agriculture. As a result of extensive irrigation, malaria resurfaced in 1976, with 64 lakh cases. By now, mosquitoes too had developed resistance to insecticides. In this way, the use of DDT had backfired. Since most pesticides are not biodegradable, once they enter the food chain they persist in plant or animal bodies. Organisms higher in the food chain tend to accumulate higher amounts of pesticides inside their body—a phenomenon called biomagnification. And man is considered to be at the top of the food chain. Though it was way back in 1962 that the concept of biomagnification was propounded, global production of pesticides jumped from a meagre 0.67 Mt in 1945 to 10.2 Mt in 1985—a 15-fold increase. In 1965 it was reported that DDT level in body tissue is maximum among Indians. This was most likely from the DDT-laced food they had. Pesticides are not easily removed from food on washing, cooking or boiling. In Hyderabad, out of 1,284 samples of vegetables, 60 per cent were found contaminated with insecticides. Samples of wheat were found to contain 10 to 175 ppm (parts per million) of DDT and 7-87 ppm of BHC (a substitute for DDT). The recent fracas over the presence of pesticides in bottled water and drinks only highlights the issue. One study has found a probable link between pesticide use and heart disease, though the results are yet to be confirmed. French and Argentine researchers, too, have shown evidence. A study on more than 200 men suggested that pesticides could be contributing to the falling sperm count and rising male infertility. In spite of all this, the government plans to use 72,000 tones of DDT during the 10th Five-Year Plan. Any solution? What is the solution? A lot of research is being done on bio-pesticides and much more is needed. The 12th Human Development Report prepared by the UNO has cited an urgent need for stepping up research efforts in pest-resistant staple food varieties. This may help reduce the use of pesticides. All-out effort has to be made to find viable alternatives to chemical sprays. Till a breakthrough is achieved, we can take certain measures at our own level: prefer insect-affected (daagi) vegetables to the seemingly healthy ones. While the insect-eaten part of a vegetable can be cut off, we can do nothing about the pesticides in a “clean” vegetable. We should also stay away from off-season vegetables, as they are grown with the support of heavy doses of pesticides. Farmers could switch over from the aim of maximum quantity to quality. Mechanical practices like uprooting affected plants can reduce the use of pesticides. |
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Minerals that keep animals going FOR the proper functioning of an animal body, minerals are needed in addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates and vitamins. While these are required in small quantities, they are very essential to avoid diseases. They are also intermediates in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins. There are about 40 minerals that are relevant, but not all of them are essential. The essential mineral elements are those that have specific metabolic roles and whose deficiency shows symptoms. These are divided into two categories: macro minerals and trace/micro minerals. Macro minerals: Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine and sulphur are required by the body in large amounts. These are mainly responsible for building body tissues. Micro minerals: These are minerals like iron, copper, or zinc and are required in lesser amounts, but this fact does not reduce their essentiality. Their major role is in different metabolic and enzymatic processes. Given below are the problems that may arise form deficiency in the particular minerals: Zinc: A larger fraction of this mineral is in skin, hair, wool and bones. Its deficiency causes rough scaly skin, and loss of hair. Prolonged deficiency causes lower fertility and delayed sexual maturity. More than 2 per cent dietary calcium level also stimulates zinc deficiency. Manganese:
Its deficiency causes impaired growth, skeletal abnormalities, disturbed reproduction and even abnormalities in the newborn. Iron: Deficiency of this mineral is characterised by yellowness of mucous membranes like eyes, nose or gums. This also reduces the working capacity of the animal. The condition is called anaemia. Green fodder is a major source of iron; this problem is more prevalent in calves that are fed on milk. Copper:
This mineral helps in absorption of digested feed and proper skin pigmentation. Its deficiency causes skin/hair colour change from dark to light. Hair around eyes can lose pigmentation, giving the animal a spectacled appearance. Improper absorption of feed also leads to diarrhoea. Excess of molybdenum and sulphate induce its deficiency. Cobalt: Cobalt deficiency leads to vitamin B12 deficiency and causes anaemia. Cattle don't store cobalt; that's why the appetite and appearance of cobalt-deficient animals improves rapidly when it is incorporated in the diet. Iodine: In iodine deficiency, the thyroid gland overgrows and causes goitre. Deficiency in pregnant animals leads to the birth of hairless or dead foetus. Goitre in a newborn confirms that the mother is deficient, though the animal may not show symptoms. Chromium: Its deficiency causes hindrance in proper absorption of carbohydrates. Selenium: A major sign of deficiency is white-muscle disease in young ruminants, where muscles get degenerated, which may lead to heart failure or paralysis of hind legs. In females, fertility is affected. The only method to avoid all the deficiencies is to incorporate mineral mixtures in the diet. About 30-60gm of mineral mixture is sufficient for an animal, subject to its age and productivity. |
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Colostrum importance A newborn calf has to struggle for survival and is highly susceptible infections from E. coli, Rota virus, Corona virus, etc. At this stage its mother provides nourishment and protection from diseases by producing colostrum, called bohli in local parlance. Colostrum is the first milk secreted from the udder after parturition. It is more viscous than milk, having a specific gravity of 1.040-1.056 as compared to milk’s 1.028-1.032. It is tasteless to slightly salty and the colour is whitish to slightly yellow. Colostrum has approximately double the total solids (fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins) of milk. Vitamin A is 10 times more, the globulin fraction is 15 per cent more (responsible for immunity), proteins four times and fat and minerals are also higher as compared to milk. Only the lactose content is less than in milk. As hours pass by after parturition, the specific gravity and other contents, including globulin fraction, start decreasing. In colostrum produced 12 hours after birth, the total solids are reduced to half and proteins to one-third, while the lactose starts increasing. As colostrum is extremely rich in antibodies and nutrients in the first 12 hours, it is important to feed neonates on it during that period at the rate of one-tenth of the calf’s body weight per day. This should be done for 3-4 days at the same rate (may be divided into 2-3 feeds per day). As the colostrum production is far in excess of the calf's requirement, it can also be utilised for orphan neonates. In developed countries there are colostrum banks, where it is stored for months in the frozen form to be used later. Excess colostrum can also be stored at ambient temperature for weeks, but certain guidelines have to followed: —Prevent contamination of the colostrum. —Store in plastic containers as corrosion of metal containers occurs after acid is produced by fermentation of colostrum. —Stir daily to avoid separation of solids. —Feed neonates within a few weeks as the quality starts degrading. —Chemical preservation can be done by adding formaldehyde @ 0.05% wt./volume, or propionic acid @ 1% wt./wt. |
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POOR genetic potential is an inherent character in our milch animals, which limits their productivity and fertility. It takes generations to improve it by selection and intercrossing. The process can, however, be accelerated by induction of superior exotic
germplasm.