The buffalo, contributing over half of the country's total milk production, is the real mainstay of the fast-growing dairy sector, though the population of cattle is far higher. But, from the point of view of research, it is a relatively-neglected animal.

While the gene structure of some other economically-important livestock species, including cattle, pig and chicken, has been mapped to gather useful information on their genetic make-up, similar knowledge on buffalo is largely missing.

This is impeding efforts to expedite improvement of the inherent productivity of this unique multi-purpose domestic animal that provides good quality milk, meat and draught power.

It is in this context that the launch of a buffalo genomics (mapping the gene structure) project by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research needs to be viewed.

The project will help identify the genetic sources of economically useful traits like milk production, meat production, reproduction performance, physical strength and disease resistance, and their location in the gene.

Once this is known, scientists will be able to experiment with the selected (marker) genes to create tailor-made animals having predetermined production traits. This will, obviously, revolutionalise buffalo breeding to produce highly-productive animals.

The net benefit, according to Dr K M Bujarbaruah, deputy director-general of ICAR, will be that the country will be able to produce more milk and meat from fewer animals.

This sophisticated biotech research project to unravel the mysteries of the buffalo gene will be carried out jointly by Karnal-based National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources and Hissar-based Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes.

At least four other core laboratories have also been upgraded to equip them to work on this kind of a genomics project, according to ICAR assistant director-general T J Rasool who is overseeing this project. About Rs 7.55 crore (Rs 75.5 million) have been earmarked for it in the 11th plan. The department of biotechnology is also launching a buffalo genomics project.

Indeed, there are reasons for India to take up this project on its own though, generally, such genomics work on animals and plants is executed jointly by several countries, pooling their scientific and financial resources. For one, nowhere else is the buffalo as important for the rural economy as it is in India.

In fact, buffaloes native to other countries are predominantly marsh buffaloes (unlike water buffaloes of India) that are used chiefly for meat and draught power as they yield very little milk. Indian buffaloes are better milk yielders though their meat-yielding capacity and draught power are equally good.

Also, some of the best breeds of buffalo are found in India (and also in Pakistan).

Besides, India has been the world leader in buffalo husbandry and has been supplying buffalo germplasm to several countries in Southeast Asia, Europe and South America to  use in their programmes for genetic improvement of buffaloes. But its own options for further enhancing the productivity of this animal are limited.

The cross-breeding route adopted to enhance the milk yield of cows is not available for the buffalo as a germplasm better than the existing one cannot be sourced from elsewhere.

This apart, the conventional approach of breeding through selection (identifying animals with superior traits and using them as parents) has its own limitations besides being time-consuming. The inheritable characteristics (such as potential milk yield) of the animals, especially of bulls, can be known only when their next generation begins producing milk after attaining maturity. That takes about 10 to 12 years.

Biotechnological intervention is, therefore, deemed the best way to achieve a major breakthrough in buffalo productivity. The marker (selected) gene-based genetic improvement helps save time and ensures better results. "In about 10 years, we can achieve a remarkable increase in buffalo milk production," says Rasool.

Indeed, the economic importance of buffalo lies as much in its relatively higher milk yield as in the better quality of its milk. It is white in colour (unlikely cow's milk which has yellowish tinge) and has higher fat and lower water content,  which makes it ideal to make traditional Indian milk products. Besides, its milk has relatively higher protein content and a lower cholesterol level, nearly half of what cow's milk has.

Buffalo meat also is deemed as the leanest among red meat and has lower fat content than pork. What is all the more significant is that there is no religious taboo attached to consumption of buffalo meat.