Indian Journal of Animal Research

SCOPUSWeb of Science
  • Year: 2021
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 11

An Alternative Buffalo Urine-based Non-invasive Early Estrus Test using Wheat and Mung Bean Seed Germination

  • Author:
  • Tanvi Bhatia, Varij Nayan, Rakshita Singh, Chhama Singh, Anuradha Bhardwaj1, Sunil Kumar, M. Naveen Swaroop, S.K. Onteru2, R.K. Sharma, Anurag Bharadwaj, Dheer Singh2, A.K. Mohanty2
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 1279 to 1285

1Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar-125 001, Haryana, India.

2ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132 001, Haryana, India

Division of Animal Physiology and Reproduction, Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics and Computational Biology Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar-125 001, Haryana, India

*Corresponding Author: Varij Nayan, Division of Animal Physiology and Reproduction, Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics and Computational Biology Laboratory, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar-125 001, Haryana, India, Email: varij.biochem@gmail.com; varij.nayan@icar.gov.in

#These author contributed equally to this work and are Co-first authors.

Abstract

The silent estrus problem in buffaloes is one of the major bottlenecks in buffalo management. Here, we present for the first time a simple and urine-based non-invasive seed germination inhibition test to detect the early estrus in buffaloes.

The urine samples were collected from buffaloes on 0, 6, 10, 14, 18, 21 and 28 days after detection of signs of heat. The mungbean and wheat seeds (n=15 each) were treated with diluted (1:2 and 1:4) and undiluted urine samples. The results were analyzed in terms of germination inhibition percentage (GI%) and shoot length (SL) measurements. Control was established using distilled water in place of urine.

In 1:4 dilution urine samples, a significant (P<0.05) decrease in GI% and SL were observed after 48 hours and 5 days, respectively in both the seeds, which could be useful as an estrus test. No significant results were observed for GI% and SL with undiluted and 1:2 diluted samples in both seeds. Our findings demonstrate that GI% and SL were inhibited around peri-estrus events, increased from 10th-14th days and then gradually decreased with 1:4 dilution of urine. This estrus test may assist the farmers in timing AI.

Keywords

Estrus, Germination inhibition percentage, Murrah buffaloes, Seed germination test, Urine