Comparative studies on the evaluation of productive traits and its efficient use in buffaloes

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It has been known that domestic buffaloes have a good adaptability to hot-humid tropical environments and can utilize coarse fodder more efficiently than cattle. This study aimed at to characterize the physiological and productive traits of buffaloes in terms of 1) thermoregulatory responses, 2) feed utilization and fattening performance, and 3) reproductive traits, by comparing the traits to those of cattle with same ages and same feeding conditions. Research results obtained are as follows :1) Buffaloes show a higher body water turn over rate and lower heat dissipation ability by sweating and water evaporation from skin surface than in cattle, while the heat storage capacity and sensitive heat dissipation are inevitably high in buffaloes, and these characteristics allow the buffalo well-tolerate hot environments. (ref.1 and 2)2) Buffaloes show a superior digestibility of dry matter and more efficient feed energy utilization rates than cattle, and, if raised and fed properly at young ages, they show a good meat-producing performance as high as beef cattle. (ref.3, 4 and 6)3) To overcome less efficient yield for embryo production by super ovulation and in vitro fertilization in buffaloes, an attempt of nuclear transfer of buffalo somatic cells to cattle oocytes has been conducted. As a result, the morphologically normal embryos at blastocyst stage, a inter-generic nuclear-transferred embryo, were successfully obtained. (ref.5)4) These research results demonstrate that the domestic buffaloes have developed their unique physiological- and ecological traits through long-term evolutional period being well-adapted to hot and humid environments, and show that the buffalo is a promising animal in the tropics as a meat and milk producer.