Sexed Embryos of Sahiwal Breed Produced from 16 years old Cow
A major scientific breakthrough has been achieved by Vitagene Farms for Pakistan’s livestock sector in the initial phase of a research project approved under the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU) of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). During the research, sexed embryos of Sahiwal breed were successfully transferred, resulting in a 43 percent pregnancy rate. This achievement in Sahiwal Embryos is a remarkable breakthrough in the field of modern embryo transfer technology in Pakistan.
Sexed Embryos of Sahiwal Breed
In this initial successful phase of the project, sexed semen of the famous Sahiwal breed bull QS-783 of the Semen Production Unit Qadirabad was used. Oocytes of Sahiwal cow B125/11 of Tariq Sindhu’s Sindhu Sahiwal Cattle Breeding Farm were used for the preparation of Sahiwal embryos.
بھینسوں کے ایمبریوز اور سیمن کی ایکسپورٹ کیلئے چینی کمپنی کے ساتھ معاہدہ طے پا گیا
This Sahiwal cow is 16 years old and has demonstrated excellent productivity in the past. The cow originally belongs to Bahadurnagar Farm, which was purchased by Sindhu Sahiwal Cattle Breeding Farm in an auction. The embryos produced from this cow were successfully transferred to recipient cows, which achieved a pregnancy rate of 43%.
Research Project Details
This research project is being carried out under the leadership of NIBGE Principal Scientist Dr. Muhammad Asif, for which HEC has approved a grant of Rs 18.8 million. The project aims to make slow freezing and vitrification techniques more effective for preserving cow embryos.
Vitagene Farms; Breed Improvement and Research Centre
VitaGene Farms is part of the project as a key industrial collaborator. All the practical research of this project is being carried out at VitaGene Breed Improvement and Research Centre. The centre has a state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory for animals, where the latest facilities for embryo preparation, culture, cryopreservation and embryo transfer are available.
صدر وائیٹا جین فارمز ڈاکٹر قیصر شہزاد کا ڈی سی ایف اے پاکستان کے مرکزی سیکرٹریٹ کا دورہ
Dr. Qaiser Shahzad, Co-Investigator of the project and President of Vieta Gene Farms, termed this achievement as a major milestone for Pakistan’s livestock sector, saying that the 43% pregnancy rate achieved in the initial phase is proof that the country is successfully working on world-class reproductive technologies. He said that this research will significantly increase the pace of genetic improvement of other local breeds including Sahiwal, while also promoting the breeding of animals with high productivity.
