Health and productivity of dairy cattle in high altitude cold desert environment of Leh-Ladakh: A review

VIJAY K BHARTI; ARUP GIRI; P VIVEK; SAHIL KALIA

doi:10.56093/ijans.v87i1.66794

Authors

VIJAY K BHARTI Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir 194 101 India
ARUP GIRI Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir 194 101 India
P VIVEK Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir 194 101 India
SAHIL KALIA Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), DRDO, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir 194 101 India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v87i1.66794

Keywords:

Animal health, Cattle, Climate change, Cold desert, Environment, High altitude

Abstract

The environment is usually attributed as the major climatic factor affecting animal health and production system in all agro-climatic zones. There are various environmental components viz. temperature, radiation, snowfall, wind, precipitation, humidity etc. that impact animal health and productivity. Ladakh is a remote and difficult terrain of India for studying the impact of climate change on livestock production. This area is situated at high altitude, which varies from 10,000 to 12,000 feet from mean sea level (MSL) and temperature range is 35° to -35°C. The atmospheric oxygen pressure is 30% short of MSL. Therefore, this region exhibits hypobaric-hypoxia, extreme cold and dry-arid climate for most of the year, which restrict the growth and productivity of the different livestock populations, including dairy cattle. However, demands are very high for milk and milk products by local people, Indian troops deployed in this region and tourists. Availability of fodder and high altitude stress-induced maladies, mountain sickness (brisket edema), stunted growth, infertility, mastitis pneumonia, etc. severely limits the dairy development, which has increased the gap between supply and demand of dairy products in this region. The impact of climate change on livestock production in Ladakh is a relatively ignored research area. Since the literature on the effect of climate change on dairy cattle productivity in Leh-Ladakh is scarce, therefore, the present article reviewed the available reports and presents authors' own observations on how this climate change impacted on health, production and reproduction of dairy cattle in high altitude cold desert.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ames D. 1980. Thermal environment affects production efficiency of livestock. Bioscience 30: 457–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1307947

Baylis N and Githeko A K. 2006. The effect of climate change on infectious diseases of animals. Foresight, Infectious Disease, Preparing for the future. Office and Science and Innovation. Bencowitz H Z, Wagner P D and West J B. 1982. Effect of change in PO2 on exercise tolerance at high altitude: a theoretical study. Journal of Applied Physiology 53: 1487–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1982.53.6.1487

Bernabucci U, Ronchi B and Lacetera N. 2005. Influence of body condition score on relationships between metabolic status and oxidative stress in periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88: 2017–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72878-2

Bharti V K, Venkatesan G, Biswas A, Gogoi D, Deshmukh P B, Patial S, Venkatesh P R and Srivastava R B. 2011a. Modern dairy farming in cold arid region of Leh-Ladakh. Innovatives in Agro Animal Technologies. (Eds) Srivastava R B and Selvamurthy W. Pp. 193–203. Satish Serial Publishing House, Delhi.

Bharti V K, Kumar P, Charan G, Gogoi D, Biswas A, Deshmukh P B and Srivastava R B. 2011b. Pathophysiology of high altitude (HA) stress and livestock productivity. XXAnnual Conference of Society of Animal Physiologist of India (SAPI) and International Symposium on Advances in Physiologic Research for Sustainable Development of Livestock and Poultry Production with a Satellite Symposium on Strategic Physiological Research for Sustainable Animal Biodiversity. 2–4 November 2011,WBUAFS, Kolkata, India,

Bharti V K, Gogoi D, Charan G, Biswas A, Kumar P and Srivastava R B. 2011c. Normal haeamatological values of Changthangi sheep and goat, Muzaffarnagri sheep, crossbred sheep, HF cattle, Zanskar ponies, and broiler chicken at high altitude. International Conference on Emerging Trends on Food and Health Security in Cold Deserts. 23–25 September 2011, DIHAR, DRDO, Leh-Ladakh.

Bharti V K, Ahmad M, Deshmukh P B, Ballewar V R and Srivastava R B. 2012. Seroprevalence of Peste-des-petits ruminants, Brucellosis, and Foot-and-Mouth disease in animals of cold desert high altitude region. XXI National Conference of Indian Virological Society (VIROCON-2012). 8–10 November 2012, IVRI, Mukteswar.

Bishop A L, Spohr L J and Barchia I M. 2004. Effects of altitude, distance and waves of movement on the dispersal in Australia of the arbovirus vector, Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Preventive Veterinary Medicine 65: 135–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2004.06.011

Blodgett S and Lanier W. 2006. Pest management strategic plan for rangeland beef in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Western Integrated Pest Management Center Report. (http://www.ipmcenters.org/pmsp/pdf/WestRangelandBeef.pdf).

Brosh A, Aharoni Y, Degen A A, Wright D and Young B A. 1998. Effects of solar radiation, dietary energy, and time of feeding on thermoregulatory responses and energy balance in cattle in a hot environment. Journal of Animal Science 76: 2671– 77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/1998.76102671x

Broucek J, Letkovicova M and Kovalcuj K. 1991. Estimation of cold stress effect on dairy cows. International Journal of Biometeorology 35: 29–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01040960

Castillo C, Hernandez J and Valverde I. 2006. Plasma malonaldehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant status (TAS) during lactation in dairy cows. Research in Veterinary Science 80: 133–39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2005.06.003

Charan G, Bharti V K, Kumar P, Gogoi D, Deshmukh P B, Srivastava R B. 2011. Antioxidant potential and total phenolic contents of fodders grown in cold desert high altitude region. International Conference on Emerging Trends on Food and Health Security in Cold Deserts. 23–25 September 2011, DIHAR, DRDO, Leh-Ladakh.

Charan G, Bharti V K, Jadhav S E, Kumar S, Angchok D, Acharya S, Kumar P and Srivastava R B. 2012. Altitudinal variations in carbon storage and distribution patterns in cold desert high altitude region of India. African Journal of Agricultural Research 7: 6313–19.

Cook N B, Bennett T B and Nordlund K V. 2005. Monitoring indices of cow comfort in free-stall-housed dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 88: 3876–85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)73073-3

Cueva S. 1967. ‘Blood oxygen transport in cattle “susceptible” and “resistant” to high mountain (Brisket) disease.’ M.Sc. Thesis. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co.

Dong S K, Wen L, Zhu L, Lassoie J P, Yan Z L, Shrestha K K, Pariya D and Sharma E. 2009. Indigenous yak and yak-cattle crossbreed management in high altitude areas of northern Nepal: A case study from Rasuwa district. African Journal of Agricultural Research 4: 957–67.

Gabai G, Testoni S and Piccinini R. 2004. Oxidative stress in primiparous cows in relation to dietary starch and the progress of lactation. Animal Science 79: 99–108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1357729800054576

Gaughan J B. 2012. Basic principles involved in adaptation of livestock to climate change. Environmental Stress and Amelioration in Livestock Production. (Eds) Sejian V, Naqvi SMK, Ezeji T, Lakritz J and Lal R, Springer-Verlag GmbH Publisher, Germany (DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642–29205_10).

Gautier H. 1996. Interactions among metabolic rate, hypoxia, and control of breathing. Journal of Applied Physiology 81: 521– 27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.2.521

Hahn G L. 1981. Housing and management to reduce climatic impacts on livestock. Journal of Animal Science 52: 175–86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1981.521175x

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2007. Climate change: Synthesis report. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf.

Linn J. 2014. Cold weather affects dairy cows, too. Dairy Star. http://dairystar.com/m/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=9480.

Lohrke B, Viergtz T and Kanitz W. 2004. High milk yield in dairy cows associated with oxidant stress. Online Journal of Veterinary Research 8: 70–78.

Meena H R, Ram H, Sahoo A and Rasool T J. 2008. Livestock husbandry scenario at high altitude Kumaon Himalaya. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 78: 882–86.

Nardone A, Ronchi B, Lacetera N , Ranieri M S and Bernabucci U. 2010. Effect of climate changes on animal production and sustainability of livestock systems. Livestock Science 130: 57–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2010.02.011

National Research Council (NRC). 1981. Effect of environment on nutrients of domestic animals. Committee on animal nutrition. Subcommittee on environmental stress. National Academy Press, Washington DC.

Nogues-Bravoa D, Araujoc M B, Erread M P and Martinez-Ricad J P. 2007. Exposure of global mountain systems to climate warming during the 21st Century. Global Environmental 17: 420–28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.11.007

Patz J A, Thaddeus K, Graczy K, Geller N and Vitto Y A. 2000. Effects of environmental changes on emerging parasitic diseases. International Journal for Parasitology 30: 1395– 405. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7519(00)00141-7

Ranjan R, Swarup D and Naresh R. 2005. Enhanced erythrocytic lipid peroxides and reduced plasma ascorbic acid, and alteration in blood trace elements level in dairy cows with mastitis. Veterinary Research Communications 29: 7–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VERC.0000046740.59694.5d

Rizvi S S. 1980. Breeding policy as to domestic animals in the districts of Kargil and Leh. The Administrator 4: 719–52.

Salak-Johnson J L. 2011. Adaptation and Stress: Neuroendocrine, physiological and behavioural responses. Encyclopedia of Animal Science. 2nd edn. Ullrey DE, Baer CK, Pond WG eds. CRC Press Boca Raton 1: 1–5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1081/E-EAS2-120045772

Scaletti R W, Trammell D S and Smith B A. 2003. Role of dietary copper in enhancing resistance to Escherichia coli mastitis. Journal of Dairy Science 86: 1240–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73708-4

Shao B, Long R, Ding Y, Wang J, Ding L and Wang H. 2010. Morphological adaptations of yak (Bos grunniens) tongue to the foraging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Animal Science 88: 2594–603. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009-2398

Singh S V, Upadhyay R C, Ashutosh, Hooda O K and Vaidya M M. 2011. Climate change: impacts on reproductive pattern of cattle and buffaloes: review. Wayamba Journal of Animal Science 89 (1): 199–208.

Singh S K, Meena H R, Kolekar D V and Singh Y P. 2012. Climate change impacts on livestock and adaptation strategies to sustain livestock production. Journal of Veterinary Advances 2: 407– 12.

Thornton P K, Van De Steeg J, Notenbaert A and Herrero M. 2009. The impacts of climate change on livestock and livestock systems in developing countries: A review of what we know and what we need to know. Agricultural Systems 101: 113– 27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2009.05.002

Wall E, Wreford A, Topp K and Moran D. 2010. Biological and economic consequences of heat stress due to a changing climate on UK livestock. Advances in Animal Biosciences 1: 53–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040470010001962

West J B. 1984. Human physiology at extreme altitudes on Mount Everest. Science 223: 784–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6364351

West J W. 2003. Effect of heat stress on production in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 86: 2131–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73803-X

Yamamoto S, Young B A, Purwanto B P, Nakamasu F and Matsumoto T. 1994. Effect of solar radiation on the heat load of dairy heifers. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45: 1741–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9941741