Morphometric characteristics and present status of Ponwar cattle breed in India - G.K. Gaur, Avtar Singh, P.K. Singh & R.K. Pundir

National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Post Box 129, G T Road Bypass, Karnal 132 001 (Haryana), India

Summary

This study was undertaken in order to characterize the Ponwar breed and to establish its present status so that suitable breeding strategies and conservation models could be suggested for the overall improvement of the breed.

The Ponwar is a draught cattle breed and is native to the Pilibhit District of Uttar Pradesh. The breeding tract lies between latitude 28°4’ and 28°8’ North and between longitude 79°0’ and 80°4’ East. The coat colour of these animals is brown or black with white patches in varying proportions. The tail switch is white in black animals and black in those having a greater proportion of white patches. The body is small, compact and non-fleshy, the face is small and narrow and the ears are small. The horns are small to medium and curve inward with pointed tips. The hump is small in females and developed in males. The tail is long and reaches to below the hock. Cows have small udders and teats. The animals of this breed possess an aggressive temperament.

The milk production of the Ponwar cows is low, i.e. about 0.5 to 2.5 kg per day for a lactation period of 8 to 10 (average 8.9±0.1) months. Lactation milk yield averaged 462.5±12.1 kg. The age at first calving ranged from 40 to 60 months and the inter-calving period averaged 12.6±0.1 months. The service period in Ponwar cattle varied from 60 to 100 days. The cows remained dry for average of 110.0±2.6 days. Bullocks of this breed can transport an 800 to 1000 kg load up to 10 kilometres easily. They can plough 0.4 hectares of land in a day working for 6 to 8 hours. Body length, height at wither and heart girth in adult cows averaged 97.1±0.5, 109.0±0.4 and 140.6±0.5 cm, respectively. The animals recorded in the different villages had similar average body measurements corresponding to their category. The survey revealed that about 21% of total cattle population was of Ponwar breed in Puranpur Tehsil. The approximate Ponwar population in the entire breeding tract was estimated as 10 667.

Resumen

El estudio se llevó a cabo para caracterizar la raza Ponwar y establecer su actual estatus, lo que permitirá elaborar las estrategias de cría y los modelos de conservación con el fin de mejorar el conjunto de la raza.

La raza Ponwar es una raza bovina de tiro, nativa de la zona de Pilibhit en la región de Uttar Pradesh. La raza se extiende entre las latitudines 28°4’ y 28°8’ norte y longitud 79°0’ y 80°4’ este. El color del manto de estos animales es marrón o negro con manchas blancas en distinta proporción. La cola es blanca en los animales negros y negra en aquellos animales con mayor proporción de manchas blancas. El cuerpo es pequeño, compacto y erguido, la cara es pequeña así como las orejas. Los cuernos son también de pequeños a medianos, curvados hacia el interior con las puntas hacia afuera. La joroba es pequeña en las hembras y más desarrollada en los machos. La cola es larga y puede llegar debajo del corvejón. Las hembras tienen ubres y pezones pequeños. Los animales de esta raza poseen un temperamento agresivo.

La producción de leche de la raza Ponwar es baja, alrededor de 0,5 a 2,5 kg diarios durante un periodo de lactación que va de 8a 10 meses (media de 8,9 +0,1). La media de rendimiento de lactación es de 462,5+12,1kg. La edad al primer parto va de 40 a 60 meses y el intervalo medio entre partos es de 12,6+0,1 meses. El periodo de cubrición en la raza Ponwar varia de 60 a 100 días. Las hembras están secas durante un periodo medio de 110,0+2,6 días. Los machos de esta raza pueden transportar hasta 800 a 1000 kg de peso durante 10kilómetros fácilmente. Pueden labrar 0,4hectáreas de terreno en un día de trabajo de 6 a 8 horas. La longitud corporal, altura a la cruz y circunferencia torácica en el adulto alcanzan una media de 97,1+0,5, 109,0+0,4 y 140,6+0,5 cm, respectivamente. Los animales en control en los distintos poblados presentan una media similar en las medidas corporales de su misma categoría. La encuesta mostró que alrededor del 21% del total de la población bovina pertenecía a la raza Ponwar en Puranpur Tehsil. La población Ponwar en toda la zona se estima aproximadamente en 10667 animales.

Key words: Breeding tract, Management practices, Physical characteristics, Production, Reproduction, Measurements.

Introduction

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, is also rich in domestic animal diversity. The state possesses 23.5 million cattle, of which 97.4% are indigenous including non descripts (Pragati, 2001). Total milk production (projected) for the state (2001-2002) is about 14.6 million tons that is 16.5% of the total milk production (88.5million tons) of the country (Dairy Year Book, 2001). There are five breeds of cattle in Uttar Pradesh. Three breeds fall within the category of draught type (Ponwar, Kenkatha and Kherigarh) and other two within the dual-purpose category i.e. milk and draught type (Gangatiri and Mewati). All the breeds are well adapted to the agro-climatic conditions of the state. Crossbreeding with semen from exotic breeds has also been used to some extent in pockets of these indigenous breeds. Exotic bull semen was used in 92% of the total artificial inseminations (14.4 lacs) done in the state during year 2000-2001 (Pragati, 2001). This has resulted in dilution of the indigenous breeds in the state. However, some true specimens of these breeds are available in their breeding tract in the interior region, which may be used to revive the population if conserved and bred in a systematic way.

Figure 1. A Ponwar cow.

Ponwar, a draught breed of cattle is a native of Pilibhit District of Uttar Pradesh. The bullocks of this breed are active, useful for light ploughing and carting and are remarkable for their speed and stamina, the cows however are poor milkers (Figure 1). Information on the Ponwar cattle breed is very limited in the available literature. No systematic program has been implemented for the improvement of this breed. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to characterize the Ponwar breed and to establish its present status so that suitable breeding strategies and conservation models could be suggested for the overall improvement of the breed.

Materials and Methods

The actual breeding tract of the breed was delineated with the help of discussions with District/Tehsil/Block level officers of Animal Husbandry Department (Uttar Pradesh) and preliminary surveys in that area. The entire breeding tract was divided into three strata on the basis of the concentration/density of animals i.e. central (most populous area), adjacent (moderately populous area) and peripheral (least populous area). Two blocks each in the above strata i.e. a total of six blocks were selected randomly. In each of the selected blocks, two villages were selected randomly. Thus, in all, a total of 12 villages were identified for study. The selected blocks and villages are shown in Table 1.

The farmers were interviewed regarding the choice of the breed, management practices followed, technical/financial inputs, socio-economic utility of the breed, feeding and disease prophylactic practices followed, the level of their technical knowledge of animal husbandry and other related problems. The cattle population of the villages in general and the Ponwar population in particular were determined. The total cattle population of the block was obtained from the census available at District Head Quarters and the breed population was extrapolated.

A total of 50 Ponwar animals from each village were randomly chosen for morphometric measurements. Production and reproduction traits of these animals were recorded by interviewing their owners. The characteristics recorded were the colour of their coat, skin, muzzle, eye lids, hoofs, tail switch; the colour, shape, size and orientation of their horns; the length and orientation of their ears; the appearance of their head and body including:

a) the hump (large/medium/small);
b) the dewlap (large/medium/small);
c) their basic temperament (docile/moderate/aggressive);
d) the size of their udder and teats (large/medium/small);
e) their chest girth, body length,
f) height at withers (cm) and
g) tail length (above hock/at hock/below hock/touching the ground).

Figure 2. The breeding tract of Ponwar cattle.

Figure 3. A Ponwar bullock.

The reproduction and production traits recorded were age at first calving, daily milk yield, lactation yield, peak yield, inter-calving period, lactation period, service period and dry period.

Results and Discussion

Origin and distribution of the breed

The Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh is the breeding tract of Ponwar cattle (Figure 2). The main area is the Puranpur Block in the Pilibhit district comprising Mainakot, Mazara, Bhirkhera, Faizulaganj and Rajpur Semra villages. A few animals of this breed are also found in Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. This breed is also known as Kabri (mixture of colours) in the breeding tract. The Ponwar seems to be a small hill type breed. Critical examination of the animals reveals that this breed may be a mixture of hill and plain cattle. The breed may have originated from the crossing of non-listed Nepalese hill cattle (Morang) and local white cattle as the breeding tract is very near to the Nepal boarder (Nivsarkar et al., 2000).

Table 1. List of the villages selected for survey.

This breed is primarily maintained for draught purpose. Bullocks (Figure 3) are quick and strong and well suited to agricultural operations. A bullock fetches US$20 to US$100 and represents a good source of income for the farmers. The landless labourers and marginal farmers mainly keep these animals. The progressive farmer keeps no animal of this breed. Purebred animals are available in the interior area of the breeding tract. The Tharu tribe is mainly involved in rearing pure Ponwar animals. Some animals have also been maintained by Pasi and Yadav communities.

Topography of the breeding tract

The breeding tract lies between latitude 28°4’and 28 °8’ North and between longitude 79°0’ and 80°4’ East. The entire breeding tract is a significantly forested plain area. The soil of the tract is an alluvial type. The climate of this region is tropical i.e. hot and humid. The temperature reaches 45°C in summer (May and June) and 5°C in winter (December and January). Annual rainfall varies from 120 to 170 cm. The peak months of rain are July, August and September. The relative humidity in the tract reaches up to 95%. Rice and sugarcane are the major crops in the area. Other crops, i.e. wheat, arhar (Cajanus cajan), bengal gram (Cicer arietinum), mustard, maize, jwar (Sorghum vulgare) and bajra (Pennisetum typhoides) are sown in the area. The vegetable crops of the area include potato and onion, however, farmers also grow common green vegetable. The main fodder crops grown in the area are berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum), lucerne (Medicago sativa), jwar (Sorghum vulgare) and bajra (Pennisetum typhoides). Only progressive farmers were observed to grow the fodder crops.

Figure 4. Ponwar cattle in grazing field.

Figure 5. Housing sysytem of Ponwar cattle.

Figure 6. A Ponwar calf.

Management practices of the breed

Most of the animals are maintained on grazing in the forest area (Figure 4). Only about 5% of animals are being maintained under stall-feeding. The animals cover an average of about 10 to 15kilometres in a day while grazing. Very few animals in milking stage are provided with concentrate mixture and salt. Unproductive animals, especially when fodder is scarce, are transferred to the forest for a few months. The group of animals maintained in the forest is called Gaudi (the livestock herd). Sometimes these animals are fed rice and wheat straw in limited amounts. Green fodder is never available to these animals.

Animals are kept in the open in summer and the rainy season and in rice and bamboo thatched structures called Chappar in winter (Figure 5). The average herd size varies from 1 to 50animals, however some herds of approximately 200 animals were also noted. The occurrence of diseases in Ponwar cattle has been reported to be negligible. These animals were rarely vaccinated for Foot and Mouth Disease and Haemorrhagic Septicaemia. The animals of the Ponwar breed are never taken to veterinary hospital for the treatment and natural mating is practised in the entire population of Ponwar cattle. The farmers castrate the male calves at the age of one year or more using a local technique. A Ponwar calf is shown in Figure6.

Physical characteristics of the breed

Coat colour of these animals is brown or black with white patches in varying proportions. The colour of the muzzle, eyelids and hoofs is generally black. The tail switch is white in black animals and black in those having a greater proportion of white patches. The horns are small to medium and curve inward with pointed tips. The ears are small and erect with a sideways orientation and have pointed tips. The face is small and narrow with a slightly concave forehead, which is narrow and has a white marking. The body is small, compact and non-fleshy. The skin is tight, the dewlap is medium and the hump is small in females and developed in males (Figure 7). The tail is long and reaches to below the hock. Cows have small udders and teats and milk veins are small. The animals of this breed are aggressive.

Table 2. Total and Ponwar cattle population in surveyed villages.

Figure 7. A Ponwar bull.

Table 3. Body length, height at wither and heart girth in different category of Ponwar cattle.

Production and reproduction characteristics

Information on production and reproduction characteristics was gathered for 103 Ponwar cows. Cows produced little milk about 0.5 to 2.5 kg per day for 8 to 10 (average 8.9±0.1) months. A total of 34 cows producing 2.5litres of milk in a day was also noted. Lactation milk yield averaged 462.5±12.1 kg. Age at first calving ranged from 40 to 60 months (average 52.2±0.5) and the inter-calving period averaged 12.6±0.1months. The service period in Ponwar cattle varied from 60 to 100 (average 76.0±1.1) days. The cows remained dry for an average of 110.0±2.6 days. Bullocks of this breed can transport 800 to 1000 kg load up to 10 kilometres easily. They can plough one acre of land in a day working for 6 to 8hours. The lactation milk yield in the Ponwar breed was lower than that reported for Hariana breed (Yadav and Rathi, 1991). Hariana is a dual-purpose breed that is also available in the Ponwar’s breeding tract in limited numbers.

Morphometric measurements

Morphometric measurements (body length, height at wither and heart girth) were taken on 424 Ponwar animals of different categories and are given in Table 3. Heart girth was highest in all categories of the animals followed by height at wither and body length giving the appearance of a small, compact body. Bullocks had higher morphometric measurements as compared to cows. The animals recorded in the different villages had similar average body measurements corresponding to their category.

Population statistics

The cattle population of the villages under study was 2451 out of which 525 cattle belonged to the Ponwar breed (Table 2). About 21% of the total cattle population was Ponwar. The approximate Ponwar population in the entire breeding tract was estimated as 10667 based on the figure available for total cattle population in Puranpur block (49800).

Recommendations

The present status of the Ponwar cattle breed revealed that this breed must be conserved and improved as a priority. This breed will be lost if proper attention is not paid immediately to its conservation. Stakeholders of this breed must devise and implement plans for both conservation and improvement that are practical and scientifically sound.

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the Director, NBAGR, Karnal for providing help in carrying out the research work and preparation of the research article and to the In-charge, Computer Centre for providing the map of Ponwar cattle breeding tract.

References

Dairy Year Book. 2001. Second Edition. Sadana Publishers and Distributors, F20, Palika Bazar, G. T. Road, Ghaziabad, 201009.

Pragati. 2001. Pashudhan Vibhag, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Yadav, A.S. & S.S. Rathi. 1991. Genetic evaluation of some performance traits in Hariana cattle. Asian Journal of Dairy Research, 10: 103-10.