India’s First Banni Buffalo IVF Calf

In News 

  • India saw the birth of its first IVF calf of a Buffalo breed namely Banni in Gujarat’s Kutch region.
    • The process was carried out to enhance the number of genetically superior buffaloes to increase milk production.

Key Points: Banni Buffalo

  • This breed of buffaloes is usually bred and preserved by a local community found in Kutch, called the ‘Maldharis‘.
  • Significance:
    • Banni Buffaloes has higher milk production potentials and is also more disease resilient when compared to other common breeds.
    • They are also well-adapted to survive extreme weather conditions such as water scarcity, frequent droughts, low humidity and high temperatures.
    • Banni buffaloes are trained to graze on Banni grassland during night and brought to the villages in the morning for milking.
  • Banni buffaloes are also known as “Kutchi” or “Kundi”.

IVF(In-vitro fertilization (IVF)

  • IVF is a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body.
    • It is a type of assisted reproductive technology used for infertility treatment and gestational surrogacy.
    • The process involves monitoring and stimulating a female ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from the female ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a liquid in a laboratory.
  • After the fertilised egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, it is implanted in the same or another female uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy and thus the resulting child is genetically unrelated to the surrogate.

Source  PIB