In Vitro Embryo Production in Water Buffalo

In vitro embryo production (IVEP) is a promising tool with many applications in producing calves from genetically superior animals desired for propagation and in the conservation and revival of endangered species. The techniques of IVEP were adopted from cattle and refined to suit the water buffalo requirements. From the collection of ovaries from a local abattoir and the collection of oocytes by ovum pick up from live animals, gamete storage, collection techniques, handling of ovaries and oocytes to keep the viability and developmental competence, selection of oocytes to the type of culture media and in vitro culture condition, and treatment of the sperm cells for in vitro fertilization are all-important components of the process that requires careful and precise action to ensure success. Trials on intracytoplasmic injection, the use of sex-sorted sperm cells as a tool for producing sex-predetermined embryos, and the somatic cell nuclear transfer are methods that can be used to produce embryos in vitro. This paper provides the important considerations involved in the production of healthy live calves out of in vitro-produced water buffalo embryos

Expression and Role of PIWI Proteins and piRNAs in Reproduction of Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, Linn.)

High-fertile and productive dairy animals are important to satisfy the growing population's demand. Sire fertility is one of the essential factors that regulate the overall pregnancy rate of dairy herds. However, sire fertility varies from 10 to 90%, suggesting that male fertility largely accounts for varying fertility levels across the herd. Sub-fertile bulls and females should be identified and discarded promptly to improve the dairy herd's productivity. The most dominant factors implicated in culling are poor semen quality, poor semen freezability (<35% post-thaw motility), and poor libido for the bulls and hard breeders for females that cause huge economic loss to the raisers. Understanding the basic mechanism of male and female fertility has undergone tremendous change in recent times owing to the advancement of molecular tools judging the essential molecules responsible for fertility. Presently, a new molecular niche has surfaced in testes, strongly influencing the fertilization potential of spermatozoa. Over the last decade, there has arrived a conclusion that out of several factors, piRNA and PIWI proteins are largely implicated in regulating the vital aspects of fertility and embryogenesis. While this development is advancing in other animals, very limited information is available on PIWI protein and piRNAs in large animals. Except for a few sporadic information on PIWI protein in cattle, very limited information is available on piRNAs and PIWI protein in regulation with buffalo bull fertility and growth of embryos of buffaloes, posting a huge demand for research

Apparent Metabolizable Energy of Corn and Rice Bran for Philippine Mallard Duck

The metabolizable energy (ME) value of common feedstuffs for Philippine mallard duck (PMD) need to be established to formulate specific and balance diet for PMD.  For this, the study was conducted to determine the apparent ME expressed in classical ME (AME) and nitrogen corrected ME (AMEn) of corn and rice bran for PMD. Eight PMD were used in the energy assay using the total collection method. An improvised digestibility cage was fabricated and used in the experiment modifying the basin technique in excreta collection. The homogenous wet mash of corn and rice bran were tube-fed to the PMD twice with an interval of six hours. Excreta collection was done for 54 hours from the last scheduled tube feeding. Feed and excreta samples were sent to UPLB for protein and gross energy analyses. The experiment was carried out using the Completely Randomized Design. The calculated AME and AMEn of corn and rice bran for PMD were 3.63 and 3.61 kcal/g and 1.97 and 1.95 kcal/g, respectively. Corn tends to have a higher ME value than rice bran. The ME value of corn and rice bran for PMD is greater than the data of PHILSAN, which is the reference standard for poultry and livestock nutrient requirements in the Philippines. The result show that corn and rice bran have higher energetic value for growing PMD than book values for poultry.  PMD is efficient in utilizing the energy content of corn and rice bran as manifested by the higher ME value

Selección de líneas avanzadas de arroz (Oryza sp.) como alternativa para la gestión sostenible de suelos degradados por salinidad

Research focuses on advanced lines developed through interspecific crosses between Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica and Oryza rufipogon G. and the japonica type line were evaluated for salts tolerance under greenhouse and field conditions. In the greenhouse, 24 advanced F5 rice lines, five parental lines, and one commercial cultivar SFL-011 (control) were grown in a liquid medium at a concentration of 7.0 dS/m EC salinized with NaCl, and the control was evaluated at 0.2 dS/m EC irrigation water in the first phase. Under field conditions, F6 rice lines were assessed in saline soils with 7.44 dS/m EC in the second phase. Agronomic variables and yield were measured. In greenhouse conditions, six lines stood out: Puyón/JP003 P11-106716, Puyón/JP002 P8-30552, Puyón/JP003 P11-103115, Puyón/JP002 P8-294930, JP002/JP001 P × P 5P 1322, and JP001/JP003 P1 × 11P 413, with greater tolerance than the rice control, concerning plant vigor, panicles per plant, grains per panicle, the thousand-grain weight, and yield (g/plant). Under field conditions, two lines, Puyón/JP003 P11-106716 and Puyón/JP003 P11-103115 stood out for better agronomic cultivars and yields. The results showed the importance of interspecific crosses between O. Sativa ssp. japonica and O. rufipogon and the japonica type line to improve the tolerance to salinity of rice and ensure high potential yields in salinized soils.La investigación se centra en las líneas avanzadas desarrolladas a través de cruces interespecíficos entre Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica x Oryza rufipogon G., y la línea tipo japónica, cuya tolerancia a las sales bajo condiciones de invernadero y campo se sometieron a evaluación. En la primera fase en invernadero, se sembraron 24 líneas avanzadas de arroz F5, cinco líneas parentales y un cultivar comercial SFL-011 (control) en medio líquido con una concentración de 7,0 dS/m CE salinizado con NaCl y control con 0,2.dS/m CE de agua de riego. En la segunda fase en condiciones de campo se evaluaron líneas de arroz F6 en suelos salinos con 7.44 dS/m CE. Se midieron variables agronómicas y de rendimiento. En condiciones de invernadero se destacaron seis líneas: Puyón/JP003 P11-106716, Puyón/JP002 P8-30552, Puyón/JP003 P11-103115, Puyón/JP002 P8-294930, JP002/JP001 P × P 5P 1322 y JP001/JP003 P1 × 11P 413, con mayor tolerancia que el control en cuanto a vigor de planta, panículas por planta, granos por panícula, peso de 1000 granos y rendimiento (g/planta). En condiciones de campo, dos líneas, Puyón/JP003 P11-106716 y Puyón/JP003 P11-103115, se destacaron por tener mejores resultados agronómicos en cultivares y rendimiento. Los resultados mostraron la importancia del uso de cruces interespecíficos entre O. Sativa ssp. japonica x O. rufipogon, y la línea tipo japónica para mejorar la tolerancia a la salinidad del arroz y garantizar altos rendimientos potenciales en suelos salinizados; de ahí la importancia del cruce en términos de rendimientos agrícolas

Capitulo 9. Bienestar de los animales de trabajo, actores anónimos en el medio rural

Los animales han acompañado a las sociedades en su evolución cultural y económica, en especial, en las actividades rurales asistiendo en los procesos de modernización de las actividades agropecuarias (Mota-Rojas et al., 2021). Para ello, se ha recurrido a procesos de selección de especies y razas que respondan a sus necesidades específicas, las cuales cambien de un contexto a otro. A pesar de que con los procesos de automatización los animales han perdido relevancia, siempre han contribuido al aprovechamiento de los recursos disponibles, en aras de asegurar la alimentación humana y, más ampliamente, la generación de riqueza (Mota-Rojas et al., 2020a; Mota-Rojas et al., 2019b, 2019a; MotaRojas et al., 2021; Rodríguez-González et al., 2022). Abdul y Reed (2014) mencionan que de 50 países en vías de desarrollo, el 52% de los animales se emplean para actividades relacionadas a la agricultura, sobre todo en aquellos donde predominan las producciones a pequeña escala o marginales, como en India, en donde el 83% de la agricultura se ubica en este sector