Cross breeding: A revolution in science that is changing the picture of farming

Cross breeding is an important technique in agriculture and animal husbandry, which aims to increase better production, disease resistance, and other useful qualities in plants and animals. Today this technique is becoming popular among agricultural scientists and farmers in India. Let us understand what cross breeding is and how it can bring revolution in agriculture.

What is cross breeding?

Cross breeding is the reproduction of two different species, breeds or varieties through natural or artificial means. Its purpose is to incorporate the favorable characteristics of the parents in the offspring. For example, cross breeding a high milk producing cow with a powerful and disease resistant bull. The offspring produced from this can develop the best characteristics of both.

How is cross breeding done?

Cross breeding is a complex and scientific process, in which hybridization is done between two different breeds or varieties so that their offspring can have a combination of the best characteristics of the parents. It can be mainly divided into three major steps: selection of breeds, process of hybridization, and evaluation of progeny. Let us understand these steps in detail.

1. Selection of Breeds

The success of cross breeding depends on the correct selection of breeds. Scientists and farmers identify the breed whose characteristics are suitable as per their needs.

• In case of plants: Scientists select varieties that are more fertile, drought tolerant, or disease resistant.

• In case of animals: One breed may be selected for high milk production, meat quality, or strong immune system, while another breed may have the ability to survive in favorable climates.

2. Breeding Process

Several techniques are used for cross breeding, which can be both natural and artificial. This process is done under complete scientific testing and monitoring.

(a) Natural Breeding

This is a traditional method in which the male and female are mated naturally. In this process, both the breeds are kept in the same environment so that hybridization can take place.

• Advantages: It is natural and simple.

• Drawbacks: It can be time consuming, and sometimes does not give the desired results.

(b) Artificial Insemination

This is the most common and scientific method in which high quality semen from the male is artificially implanted in the uterus of the female.

Procedure:

• Semen is collected from the male and preserved at a safe temperature.

• The semen is injected into the female animal at the right time, thereby completing the hybridization process.

Advantages:

• This process is more efficient and a large number of female animals can be hybridized.

• This method is also useful for breeds which are located in far-flung areas.

(c) In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

This is an advanced technique in which embryos are formed by mixing egg and sperm in the laboratory.

Procedure:

• Egg from the female and sperm from the male are collected.

• Both are mixed in the laboratory and after the embryo is formed, it is implanted in the womb of the female.

Advantages:

• It is useful in cases where natural conception is not possible.

• This method provides better control and higher success rate.

3. Evaluation of Offsprings

The offsprings produced after cross breeding are scientifically evaluated to ensure that they are inheriting the desired characteristics of the parents.

• Physical characteristics: The size, weight, milk production (if there are animals), and disease resistance of the offspring are tested.

Genetic testing: Genetic tests are done to find out if the offspring has any genetic defects.

• Climate adaptability: It is checked how well the offspring adapts to changing environmental conditions.

Additional aspects

• Balanced diet and care: During cross breeding, the female needs special nutrition and care so that the pregnancy is successful.

• Record of data: Complete data of all stages of cross breeding is recorded so that more effective cross breeding can be done in future.

Cross breeding is a science that requires patience, precision, and expertise. When done correctly, it can become an effective tool for farmers and agricultural scientists, increasing production efficiency and profit. 

Benefits of Cross Breeding

The cross breeding technique has given many unique and beneficial results in agriculture and animal husbandry. Let us understand these advantages in detail:

1. Increase in Production

The biggest advantage of cross breeding is that it significantly increases the productivity of plants and animals. Talking about crops, when two different varieties of plants are mixed by cross breeding, their progeny has a mixture of the best qualities of the parents. This makes the crops more fertile and increases the yield per hectare.

For example, some new varieties of paddy (rice) that have been developed through cross breeding not only give more production but also increase the quality of nutrients. Similarly, cross bred varieties of sugarcane also provide more sugar content, which increases sugar production.

In animal husbandry, the effect of cross breeding is seen in milk production. For example, if a local cow breed is crossbred with a high milk yielding foreign breed, then a huge increase in milk production can be seen from the offspring. In India, breeds like “Holstein-Friesian” and “Jersey” have been crossbred with native cows to create high milk yielding hybrid breeds.

2. Disease Resistance

Increasing the ability to fight diseases has been a major challenge in agriculture. Cross breeding technique is an effective solution to this problem. In this process, those species are selected which have natural resistance to diseases. When these are hybridized by cross breeding, the offspring has a more developed ability to fight diseases.

This is beneficial for both plants and animals. For example, some varieties of tomatoes get affected by fungal diseases, but when they were developed by cross breeding, the new varieties became more resistant to fungal diseases.

In animals too, by mixing different breeds, they can be strengthened to protect them from common diseases. This can save farmers from losses on a large scale. For example, crossbred bulls and cows are generally more protected from infectious diseases than local breeds. This is very beneficial for farmers from an economic point of view.

3. Climate Adaptability

Agriculture faces many challenges in the changing climate scenario. Sudden increase in temperature, less or more rainfall, and drought-like conditions put crops at risk of damage. Cross breeding is able to address this challenge.

Some crop and animal breeds developed through cross breeding are particularly tolerant to changing climate. Such as new varieties of drought-resistant crops or animal breeds that tolerate extreme heat. For example, some hybrid varieties of millet and rice are able to tolerate drought and give good production even with less water.

Similarly, some new crossbred breeds of animals can survive well even in high temperatures and humidity. This also provides relief to farmers in situations where farming and animal husbandry become difficult due to uncertainty of weather. This feature not only guarantees farmers higher production but also prepares them to deal with the effects of climate change.

Disadvantages of Cross Breeding

Cross breeding is an advanced technique used to enhance desired traits in plants and animals. While it has many benefits, it can also have some serious disadvantages that farmers and scientists need to understand carefully. Let us know in detail what the negative aspects of cross breeding can be.

1. Reduction in Biodiversity

The process of cross breeding can lead to the gradual extinction of local and traditional breeds.

Loss of Traditional Breeds: When we focus only on cross bred breeds that give high production, native and traditional breeds start getting extinct. This causes a reduction in biodiversity, which can threaten the balance of our ecosystem.

• Impact on the Entire Ecosystem: If a particular cross bred breed becomes vulnerable to a disease or climate change, there can be widespread damage.

2. Health Problems

The offspring produced from cross breeding may also develop certain health problems.

Genetic Disorders: When two different species are crossed, the mixing of their genes may result in some unwanted genetic disorders. For example, some cross bred cows may show weight gain, joint problems, or a weak immune system.

• Uneven Growth in Breeds: Sometimes cross bred animals are physically weaker and require more care for normal functions. This can become an additional burden for farmers.

3. Uncertainty of Production

The process of cross breeding does not always guarantee that the offspring will have the best traits of both parents.

• Failure of Predictable Results: Even after cross breeding, it is possible that the offspring may not develop the desired traits. This can be a waste of time and resources for farmers.

• Long term experiments: Sometimes cross breeding has to be repeated again and again to achieve success, which becomes a long and expensive process.

4. Environmental imbalance 

New cross-bred varieties can cause imbalance in the ecosystem.

• Development of invasive species: If new cross-bred varieties become more dominant in the natural environment, they can harm the native species. This can lead to the crisis of invasive species in the ecosystem.

Climate intolerance: Some cross-bred varieties are not able to adapt to particular climatic conditions, which can affect their production.

5. Good maintenance and cost

Caring for cross-bred animals and plants can be expensive and difficult compared to normal breeds.

Special care required: Some cross-bred animals require special diet, medical care and environment, which can be challenging for small and marginal farmers.

• Increasing cost: Investment for scientific process and maintenance can increase, which can put financial pressure on small farmers.

6. Unsuitability to local climate

Cross-bred breeds sometimes do not suit the local climate and conditions.

• Decrease in production: If new breeds are not adapted to local conditions, their production may not reach the expected level. This can cause losses to farmers.

Impact of climate change: Even minor changes in the climate can affect crossbred plants and animals, while local and traditional breeds are usually more tolerant.

7. Risk of economic loss

All the processes involved in cross breeding are expensive and if it fails, farmers may suffer economic losses.

• High investment: The cost of seeds, artificial insemination, and care increases, and if cross breeding fails, it can cause economic losses.

Market uncertainty: Sometimes new varieties are not able to compete in the market, causing losses to producers.

Government efforts and support: Schemes and policies to improve cross breeding

The government has implemented several important schemes and policies to promote cross breeding in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry in India. These are aimed at increasing the productivity of crops and livestock, improving farmers’ income, and combating the effects of climate change. Here’s a detailed look at these efforts:

1. National Gokul Mission

Objective: The mission aims to preserve and improve the breeds of native cows. Since native breeds in India are more adapted and climate tolerant in many cases, the mission focuses on producing high quality offspring by promoting their cross breeding.

• Upgradation and genetic improvement of native breeds.

Establishment of artificial insemination centers.

Construction of Gokul Grams, which are entirely dedicated to the promotion of native breeds.

• Benefits: With this initiative, farmers are getting the benefit of high milk producing breeds, thereby improving their economic condition.

2. National Livestock Mission

Objective: This mission focuses on improving livestock production and health. This includes increasing the production of milk, meat and eggs by encouraging cross breeding. 

• Widespread use of artificial insemination for improved breeds.

Expansion of animal health services and promotion of vaccination campaigns.

Making farmers aware of modern techniques and management practices.

• Benefits: Better care of livestock and improvement in breeds is increasing the income of farmers and milk production in the country has also increased.

3. Contribution of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) have been established in various districts of the country and these centers make farmers aware about the latest agricultural techniques and methods of cross breeding.

• Programmes and Training:

Providing training sessions to farmers with special focus on cross breeding techniques of crops and livestock.

Field demonstrations and sharing of scientific information.

• Benefits: Farmers can easily visit their nearest KVK and consult scientists and adopt suitable cross breeding techniques for their crops and livestock.

4. Initiatives of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) plays a vital role in agriculture and livestock development in the country.

• Genetic Improvement Projects: Effective techniques of cross breeding of plants and animals are being worked out under various research projects developed by ICAR.

Genome Mapping and Research: New and more productive cross bred breeds are being developed using advanced genome mapping techniques.

• Funding and Research Collaboration: Central and State Governments are provided funding for research and development so that farmers can take advantage of the latest scientific information.

5. Special Schemes of State Governments

Different states have also come up with schemes to promote cross breeding at their level. For example:

• Gujarat: Special artificial insemination centres have been set up to increase livestock production in the state.

Tamil Nadu: The state government provides subsidy to farmers in the purchase of cross bred animals and ensures the availability of improved breeds.

• Maharashtra: Here the Animal Husbandry Department has organised several training programmes to promote high milk yielding breeds.

6. Scientific and Technological Collaboration

The government and the private sector are working together to promote research and development in the field of cross breeding. This includes the following initiatives:

• Biotechnology Research: Advanced biotechnology laboratories are providing information on new techniques to farmers.

• Apps and Digital Tools for Farmers: Several government and private institutions are providing information on new cross breeding breeds and techniques to farmers through digital platforms.

7. Incentives and Subsidies

The government provides special subsidies to farmers for cross breeding, including assistance in the cost of artificial insemination, financial assistance for participation in breed improvement programmes, and loan arrangements for livestock rearing.

• Dairy Development Programmes: Governments provide financial assistance for dairy farming to promote milk production.

• Crop Insurance Scheme: Crop insurance schemes have also been implemented to protect cross-bred crops, so that farmers can get help in times of crop loss.

The government’s efforts and support in the field of cross breeding are not only increasing production, but are also helping farmers to become economically self-reliant. However, it is important to ensure that the benefits of these schemes reach every small and big farmer, so that there can be a balanced and sustainable development in agriculture and animal husbandry.