Rajasthan institute comes up with new sheep insemination technique

Would greatly aid breed improvement, says CSWRI chief

A scientist performing laparoscopic-aided insemination on a sheep at CSWRI, Avikanagar.

Scientists at the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI), Avikanagar, have come up with a new laparascope-assisted insemination technique for sheep, which has resolved the difficulties involved in freezing of semen and inability to transit the tortuous reproductive tract of the ruminant mammals kept as livestock.

The minor invasive laparascopic technique involves passing a rigid fibre-optic laparoscope into the abdomen through a small incision. The reproductive tract is located through camera and the frozen semen is deposited into the uterus.

Krishnappa Balangur, animal reproduction scientist at the institute, told

The Hindu on Monday that the success with frozen semen in the sheep was earlier very low because of its poor freezability. “The complete operation takes about five minutes for each animal with the near-total absence of any complications,” he said.

High survival rate

Dr. Krishnappa said the new technique would help achieve up to 60% survival in the birth of lambs and would have an immense potential for rapid multiplication of elite germplasm. As many as 40 females can be inseminated from a single ejaculate using the technique.

CSWRI Director Arun Kumar Tomar said the new technique’s invention, which was a “landmark achievement” of the scientists, would be of great help in the breed improvement programmes.