A first: Ludhiana Vet varsity produces IVF calf

Ludhiana, July 5

Scientists at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, have successfully produced a Sahiwal calf following transfer of embryo produced by Ovum Pick Up and In Vitro Fertilization (OPU IVF) technique. It’s the first calf produced in the state through OPU IVF method.

Dr Inderjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU, congratulated Dr Narinder Singh and Dr Gurjot Kaur Mavi for the first OPU IVF calf produced in the state.

So far, only a few labs had been able to standardise and successfully produce live calves using this technique in India. GADVASU scientists established 37 pregnancies using the OPU IVF embryos from Sahiwal cows which were due for calving.

Dr Inderjeet Singh said, “In the present case, eggs were collected from an elite Sahiwal cow having production potential of more than 4,000 kg milk per lactation and sex sorted semen from high-pedigreed Sahiwal bull was used for the IVF. The embryos produced were implanted into the uterus of crossbred cows used as surrogate dams on Day 7 of estrous cycle resulting in the birth of an elite Sahiwal calf after nine months. The calf is healthy and doing well.”

Dr RS Grewal, Director, Livestock Farms, said the project was funded under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission Programme of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), which aims to propagate superior genetics of indigenous cattle breeds.