Honourable Vice-Chancellor, SVVU at LRS, Palamaner
Honourable Vice-Chancellor, Dr.Y.Hari Babu visited LRS, Palamaner to see the progress of construction of new cattle sheds, poultry sheds, and farmers hostel at LRS, Palamaner.
Particulars of work done from 01-04-2017 to 31-03-2018 along with statistical analysis
Brief report on work done since inception till last year
The station originally had Punganur breed of cattle. This breed was crossed with Kerry bulls imported from United Kingdom. These crossbreeds performed extremely well and became popular among the farming community of this area, because of high milk yields, up to more than 2000 liters compared to about 500 liters of Punganur cattle per lactation. Later Hallikar breed of cattle was maintained and a Poultry unit was also attached to this farm to cater the needs of seed stock to the public in the cattle development blocks, with the objective of upgrading the rural non-descript cattle. Later, the station was developed as Composite Livestock Farm to serve as a model demonstration unit and to supply superior breeding stock of Punganur and Hallikar draught cattle, Nellore and Mandya sheep, Jamunapari goats, Large White Yorkshire pigs and Poultry Units.
Later on the University has identified this station for smaIl ruminant research.Hence, various cattle breeds present at the research station were shifted to other farms.All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sheep Breeding for Mutton was started in 1971(29.3.1971). Thus the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Sheep for Mutton, funded by ICAR, was started during IV Five year plan. The main objective was to evolve a mutton breed by crossing Nellore and Mandya ewes with Dorset and Suffolk rams imported from U.K and Australia and there by to improve the mutton production potentiality of our native sheep. The Cross-breeding work was started in the year 1974 and continued up to 1989-90.
During VIII Plan, the Research Program on sheep was modified. i.e., from 1991, the AICRP on Sheep breeding has been converted into Network Project on Nellore Sheep improvement which was initially started as field based unit. Later it was converted into farm-based unit from the year 1993-94 with the main objective of improving the genetic potential of Nellore sheep by selective breeding till to date.
Apart from this, “In-situ Conservation of Punganur Cattle” is in operation under non-plan scheme in order to conserve endangered Punganur breed and cattle. Under National Agricultural Technology project on conservation of Punganur germplasam in 2004 about 4000 doses of semen were collected, processed and preserved at NBAGR,Karnal for ex-situ conservation.