The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), through its Reproductive Biotechnology Unit, has adopted the ‘fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI)” technique in an effort to improve the efficiency of AI among the post-partum buffaloes in its institutional herd.

Currently, FTAI procedures are being optimized and evaluated for their suitability under the Philippine condition.

The FTAI technique is a widely-used technology that further enhances the efficiency of the traditional AI. It combines the use of induced ovulation and timed AI and therefore does not depend on heat detection.

“Normally, we conduct the AI procedure when the animal shows signs of estrus. However, using ultrasonography, we learned that even 3-5 days after heat detection, there are cases when ovulation has not yet occurred,” Dr. Eufrocina Atabay, lead researcher of the project, said.

There are also times, she added, when the buffaloes do not show any outward signs of estrus because they are generally silent heaters.

With FTAI, the AI is performed upon induced ovulation using different hormones without the need for heat detection, therefore not requiring constant estrous monitoring.  

Among the protocols developed on ovulation synchronization is the commonly used Ovsynch that has yielded higher pregnancy rate among cattle and water buffaloes in other countries.

“At the start of the estrous cycle, we inject the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to induce the ovulation of the dominant follicle present in the ovary. A new follicular wave will then emerge that will continue to mature and develop. Seven days after, we administer the prostaglandin to regress the corpus luteum (CL) and subsequently trigger estrus or heat among the animals. A second dose of GnRH is then injected on the ninth day. Timed AI is subsequently conducted 14-15 hours after injection in time for the ovulation of the follicle and the release of egg cells with 24th to 32nd hour,” Dr. Atabay explained.

The study also uses ultrasonography to monitor the progress, growth and development of the follicles. The experiment is currently conducted among the hard breeders or those that are not responding to normal AI.

“Our partial result shows a higher efficiency among the repeat breeders subjected to the procedure,” Dr. Atabay revealed.

With a highly efficient procedure, problems on calving interval will also be addressed since it can be performed on the second estrous cycle of the animal upon calving, she said.

“We can also program the breeding of the animals so that calving will occur on the lean season of milk production. This will ensure an all-year-round milk production,” Dr. Edwin Atabay, co-researcher added.

The study is currently testing the efficiency of the different hormones used in the FTAI  and is exploring the possibility of a more cost-effective procedure to make the technology affordable to smallholder dairy farmers.

“The cost of ovsynch ranges from Php700 to Php1000 depending on the hormones used. It is more practical for commercial-scale farming and for propagating genetically superior animals,” Dr. Eufrocina Atabay said.

With further study, the research team intends to use the technology on the institutional herds of the different PCC regional stations and include the heifers. They will also study its efficiency among native carabaos, both cows and heifers, by 2015.

Apart from Drs. Eufrocina and Edwin Atabay, the research team is composed of Dr. Ester B. Flores, Excel Rio S. Maylem, Dr. Marlon B. Ocampo, Dr. Lerma C. Ocampo, Dr. Danilda H. Duran, Dr. Flocerfida P. Aquino, Dr. Daniel L. Aquino, and Dr. Annabelle S. Sarabia.