FACTORS AFFECTING SPERMATOGENESIS IN MURRAH BULLS

Dairy industry in India is mainly buffalo oriented and buffaloes have been contributing 53% of the total milk production in this country. Most of the buffaloes in the country are non-descript with an average milk yield of 500 kg per lactation. Artificial insemination is the single most important reproductive biotechnology, which has revolutionized animal breeding. To increase the milk production, buffaloes were upgraded by inseminating them with frozen-thawed semen of the Murrah bulls.Testicular function, especially spermatogenesis in the male is a sensitive process influenced by various environmental and management factors. Prophylactic vaccination against diseases which are performed as a routine in bull station is one of the major stress factor affecting the spermatogenesis and thereby reducing the semen harvest. Although information on the effect of vaccination stress on semen quality in white cattle bulls is many, the information in buffaloes is scanty. Hence the research work was undertaken the study the effect of vaccination stress on semen quality in Murrah bulls.