Question

Crossbreeding of cattle in India started with development of

• A. Taylor
• B. Jersind
• C. Brownsind
• D. Sunandni

Hint:

The Taylor breed is historically significant as India's first crossbred cattle breed, demonstrating the potential of Bos taurus x Bos indicus crosses in tropical climates.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Crossbreeding is the mating of animals from different established breeds.
In India, crossbreeding has been used to combine the high milk yield of exotic Bos taurus breeds with the heat tolerance and disease resistance of indigenous Bos indicus cattle.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The history of structured cattle crossbreeding in India began in the late 19th century.
The earliest documented systematic crossbreeding effort occurred in Patna, Bihar, around the year 18
An English planter named Mr. Taylor crossed local indigenous heifers with imported Shorthorn bulls.
The resulting crossbred offspring showed a significant increase in milk production and came to be known as the Taylor breed.
This crossbred population was maintained through inter-se mating and served as a successful dairy breed in the region for many decades.
Other crossbreeding projects followed later:
- The Jersind breed was developed at the Allahabad Agricultural Institute by crossing Jersey bulls with Red Sindhi cows.
- The Brownsind breed was developed by crossing Brown Swiss with indigenous cattle.
- The Sunandini breed was developed in Kerala through the Indo-Swiss Project starting in the 1960s, using Brown Swiss and local non-descript cattle.
Because the Taylor crossbreeding project began in 1875, it is recognized as the earliest crossbreeding effort in India.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Consequently, the history of crossbreeding of cattle in India began with the development of the Taylor breed.