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Discriminant analysis reveals differences in breed structure in river buffaloes of Maharashtra (India)

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Abstract

Buffaloes are a major milch species of India, and owning a true-to-breed buffalo herd is a reverie for livestock keepers, as it substantiates their incomes. Multivariate discriminate analysis is an efficient methodology to classify different farm animal populations based on canonical discriminant function. The present study was conducted on 392 adult buffaloes using 18 body biometric traits. Except for body height and body length, all the body characters revealed significant differences amongst the four buffalo populations. Unlike cattle, distance between horns and rump width were more discriminating factors, compared to body height, leg length, chest girth, and body length. We report the most suitable discriminate function which can discriminate with maximum between-group variation in four studied populations. Mahalanobis distances were calculated between populations and they ranged from 0.786 to 1.227. Purnathadi has revealed a distinct phenotypic structure, and these buffaloes have a distinct native breeding region comprising Akola, Amravati, and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra state. On the other hand, Elachpuri animals failed to depict physical and biometric discriminations from Nagpuri, Marathwadi, and Purnathadi buffalo populations, and Elachpuri can be considered as a strain of Nagpuri buffalo.

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Fig. 1

Source of photographs A and C: Personal collection. Source of photographs B and D: Buffalo breeds of India. N.d. Photograph. Library of ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal. Retrieved from www.nbagr.res.in

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Data availability

The phenotypic and morphometric data generated in this study is required for further analysis and is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Director, ICAR-NBAGR, for including Purnathadi buffalo in their project and the Associate Dean, PGIVAS, Akola, for providing all necessary support to carry out the work. The authors also thank the Director, ICAR-NDRI, for the necessary support. Sincere gratitude to the state Animal Husbandry officers and field Veterinarians for rendering necessary help and to all the livestock keepers who allowed measurements of their buffaloes.

Funding

The traveling expenses are borne by the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (MAFSU), Parbhani, Maharashtra, 431402, India

    S. Sajid Ali

  2. Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (MAFSU), Akola, Maharashtra, 444104, India

    S. V. Kuralkar & P. S. Bankar

  3. Berari Goat and Deccani Sheep Research, Demonstration and Training Centre, (MAFSU), Borgaon Manju, Akola, Maharashtra, 444102, India

    H. L. Kanadkhedkar

  4. ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India

    R. S. Kataria

  5. ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India

    Vikas Vohra

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Contributions

SSA, SVK, and VV designed the study. SSA collected data and prepared and revised the manuscript. VV analyzed the data. HLK, PSB, SVK, and RSK collected the data. RSK revised the manuscript.

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Correspondence to S. Sajid Ali.

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Ali, S.S., Kuralkar, S.V., Kanadkhedkar, H.L. et al. Discriminant analysis reveals differences in breed structure in river buffaloes of Maharashtra (India). Trop Anim Health Prod 56, 38 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-03885-4

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