Veerasamy Sejian
@icar.org.in
Principal Scientist, Centre for Climate Resilient Animal adaptation Studies, ICR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Veerasamy Sejian, M.V.Sc & PhD., is a Principal Scientist at ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bangalore, India. His major thrust area of research is on “Climate Change and Livestock Production” and handled seven projects in this field. Dr Sejian is the team leader which established the concept of “Multiple stresses impacting small ruminant production in the changing climate scenario”. His current research is focused on identifying molecular markers for different environmental stresses in small ruminants with the primary focus to develop agro-ecological zone specific thermo-tolerant breeds. Dr Sejian has published 149 peer reviewed research/review articles, 85 book chapters, 220 invited/lead papers, 155 conference papers and 19 technical manuals. Further, Dr Sejian also published three International Springer books. His h-index is 33 and i10 index is 91. His total citation is 3532. Dr Sejian did his first post doctorate at The Ohio state University, USA
EDUCATION
MVSc & PhD
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Climate resilient livestock production
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
G. Wijffels, M. L. Sullivan, S. Stockwell, S. Briscoe, R. Pearson, Y. Li, A. M. Macs, V. Sejian, R. McCulloch, J. C. W. Olm,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractGiven the climate projections for livestock rearing regions globally, understanding the inflammatory status of livestock under various heat loads will be informative to animal welfare and management. A survey of plasma inflammatory markers was conducted, and blood leucocyte counts followed to investigate the capacity of the ~ 500 kg grain fed Black Angus steer to respond to and recover from a moderate heat load challenge. Two sequential cohorts of 12 steers were housed in climate-controlled rooms (CCR) for 18 days. A thermally challenged (TC) group (n = 2 × 6) experienced five consecutive periods: PreChallenge, Challenge, and Recovery within the CCR, and 40 days in outdoor pens (PENS and Late PENS). PreChallenge (5 days) and Recovery (7 days) delivered thermoneutral conditions, whereas in Challenge the TC steers experienced a diurnal temperature range of 28–35 °C. A feed-restricted thermoneutral (FRTN) treatment (n = 2 × 6) was run concurrently to differentiate between responses to reduced feed intake alone and moderate heat stress. Blood neutrophil counts were particularly sensitive to moderate heat load with higher numbers during Challlenge and in PENs. The plasma concentrations of TNFα and IL-1β were depressed in the TC group compared to the FRTN counterparts and remained so for 40 days after Challenge. Linear relationships of the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-10, and haptoglobin with rumen temperature or dry matter intake detected in the FRTN group were altered or absent in the TC group. The findings suggest significant impacts of moderate heat load on the inflammatory status of feedlot cattle.
Roman Mylostyvyi, Nicola Lacetera, Massimo Amadori, Veerasamy Sejian, João Batista Freire Souza-Junior, and Gundula Hoffmann
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractExtensive research has been conducted globally on the impact of heat stress (HS) on animal health and milk production in dairy cows. In this article, we examine the possible reasons for the decrease in milk production in Brown Swiss (BS) cows during the autumn season, known as the autumn low milk yield syndrome (ALMYS). This condition has been extensively studied in high-yielding Holstein Friesian (HF) cattle and has also been observed in BS cows with a daily milk yield of around 30 kg. Our hypothesis is that the drop in milk yield and the increased prevalence of mastitis in autumn, as found in our recent studies, may be a long-term consequence of summer HS. We re-evaluate our previous findings in light of the possible manifestation of an HS-related form of ALMYS in BS cows. As milk yield, mastitis spread, and reproductive function of cows are interrelated and have seasonal dependence, we examine the consistency of our hypothesis with existing data. The significant drop in milk yield in BS cows in autumn (by 2.0–3.2 kg), as well as the threshold of milk yield decrease (temperature-humidity index of 70.7), may point in favour of the manifestation of ALMYS in BS cows, similar to HF cows. Only the percentage effect of seasonal factor (59.4%; p < 0.05) on milk yield of BS cows was significant. HS-related ALMYS provides a robust conceptual framework for diverse sets of productive and animal health data in BS cows, similar to observations in high-yielding HF cattle. However, the limitations associated with the lack of additional data (e.g. immunological indicators) suggest the need for further research to confirm ALMYS in BS breed.
Silpa Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Tong Yin, Shahin Alam, Kerstin Brügemann, Veerasamy Sejian, Raghavendra Bhatta, Eva Schlecht, and Sven König
MDPI AG
A study was designed to identify the genomic regions associated with milk production traits in a dairy cattle population reared by smallholder farmers in the harsh and challenging tropical savanna climate of Bengaluru, India. This study is a first-of-its-kind attempt to identify the selection sweeps for the dairy cattle breeds reared in such an environment. Two hundred forty lactating dairy cows reared by 68 farmers across the rural–urban transiting regions of Bengaluru were selected for this study. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify candidate genes for test-day milk yield, solids-not-fat (SNF), milk lactose, milk density and clinical mastitis. Furthermore, the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) methodology was adopted to scan the dairy cattle breeds (Holstein Friesian, Jersey and Crossbred) in Bengaluru. Two SNPs, rs109340659 and rs41571523, were observed to be significantly associated with test-day milk yield. No significant SNPs were observed for the remaining production traits. The GWAS for milk lactose revealed one SNP (rs41634101) that was very close to the threshold limit, though not significant. The potential candidate genes fibrosin-like 1 (FBRSL) and calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 3 (CACN) were identified to be in close proximity to the SNP identified for test-day milk yield. These genes were observed to be associated with milk production traits based on previous reports. Furthermore, the selection signature analysis revealed a number of regions under selection for the breed-group comparisons (Crossbred-HF, Crossbred-J and HF-J). Functional analysis of these annotated genes under selection indicated pathways and mechanisms involving ubiquitination, cell signaling and immune response. These findings point towards the probable selection of dairy cows in Bengaluru for thermotolerance.
Manasa Varra, N.R. Sundaresan, V. Girish Kumar, B.M. Chandranaik, Veerasamy Sejian, G. Sudha, and B.R. Suchitra
Agricultural Research Communication Center
Background: Identifying buffaloes in estrus is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of reproduction as silent heat is a major concern in this species. Review of literature indicated the role of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is associated with the physiological events around the estrus stage. Hence, the present study was aimed to quantify the expression level of THP in urine of buffaloes to ascertain its suitability as a marker for identifying buffaloes in estrus. Methods: The grouping of animals as mid-diestrus (Group-I/G-I/Control group), regular estrus (Group-II/G-II) and silent estrus (Group-III/G-III) buffaloes was done using a combinatorial approach. The expression of THP in the urine of three groups of animals was quantified by western blot. Result: The results of the present study revealed higher levels of urinary THP in G-II animals when compared to G-III and G-I animals, although it was statistically non-significant (p greater than 0.05). The present study revealing for increased urinary expression of THP in G-II and G-III animals when compared to G-I animals probably construes the antimicrobial role of THP in the female reproductive tract and its role during estrus to prevent microbiota population beyond the physiological levels. For THP to be considered as biomarker for detecting buffaloes in silent heat there is need for further studies involving large number of animals. Nonetheless, an easy method has been developed that facilitated THP detection and quantification in urine of buffaloes by western blot.
Manasa Varra, V. Girish Kumar, B.M. Chandranaik, M.T. Sanjeeva Kumar, N.R. Sundaresan, Veerasamy Sejian, and G. Sudha
Agricultural Research Communication Center
Background: The efficiency of reproduction in buffaloes can be increased by being able to spot buffaloes in estrus, as silent heat is a severe problem in this species. Proteins of urinary exosomes are identified to be better physiological biomarkers when compared to cell free proteins as these extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tiny in size, have additional protection from degradation by endogenous protease activity and are involved in intercellular communication. Hence, the present study was aimed to quantify the urinary exosome sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels during estrus and diestrus stages of buffaloes to determine its suitability as a marker for identifying buffaloes in estrus. Methods: The grouping of animals as mid-diestrus (Group-I/G-I/Control group), regular estrus (Group-II/G-II) and silent estrus (Group-III/G-III) buffaloes was done using a combinatorial approach. The levels of SHBG in urinary exosomes of three groups of animals was quantified using the bovine SHBG ELISA kit. Result: The present study’s findings showed significantly higher urinary exosome SHBG concentration (p less than 0.05) in G-I in comparison to G-II and G-III. The present study revealing for decreased concentration of urinary exosome SHBG in G-II and G-III animals when compared to G-I animals probably construes the physiological role of SHBG in the female reproductive tract at the estrus stage by mediating the action of estradiol 17 â (Eα) at the target site. However, for urinary exosome SHBG to be considered as a biomarker, there is need for additional research on a bigger population.
Silpa Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Shahin Alam, Tong Yin, Kerstin Brügemann, Andreas Buerkert, Veerasamy Sejian, Raghavendra Bhatta, Eva Schlecht, and Sven König
MDPI AG
A genomic study was conducted to identify the effects of urbanization and environmental contaminants with heavy metals on selection footprints in dairy cattle populations reared in the megacity of Bengaluru, South India. Dairy cattle reared along the rural–urban interface of Bengaluru with/without access to roughage from public lakeshores were selected. The genotyped animals were subjected to the cross-population–extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) methodology to infer selection sweeps caused by urbanization (rural, mixed, and urban) and environmental contamination with cadmium and lead. We postulated that social-ecological challenges contribute to mechanisms of natural selection. A number of selection sweeps were identified when comparing the genomes of cattle located in rural, mixed, or urban regions. The largest effects were identified on BTA21, displaying pronounced peaks for selection sweeps for all three urbanization levels (urban_vs_rural, urban_vs_mixed and rural_vs_mixed). Selection sweeps are located in chromosomal segments in close proximity to the genes lrand rab interactor 3 (RIN3), solute carrier family 24 member 4 (SLC24A4), tetraspanin 3 (TSPAN3), and proline-serine-threonine phosphatase interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1). Functional enrichment analyses of the selection sweeps for all three comparisons revealed a number of gene ontology (GO) and KEGG terms, which were associated with reproduction, metabolism, and cell signaling-related functional mechanisms. Likewise, a number of the chromosomal segments under selection were observed when creating cattle groups according to cadmium and lead contaminations. Stronger and more intense positive selection sweeps were observed for the cadmium contaminated group, i.e., signals of selection on BTA 16 and BTA19 in close proximity to genes regulating the somatotropic axis (growth factor receptor bound protein 2 (GRB2) and cell ion exchange (chloride voltage-gated channel 6 (CLCN6)). A few novel, so far uncharacterized genes, mostly with effects on immune physiology, were identified. The lead contaminated group revealed sweeps which were annotated with genes involved in carcass traits (TNNC2, SLC12A5, and GABRA4), milk yield (HTR1D, SLCO3A1, TEK, and OPCML), reproduction (GABRA4), hypoxia/stress response (OPRD1 and KDR), cell adhesion (PCDHGC3), inflammatory response (ADORA2A), and immune defense mechanism (ALCAM). Thus, the findings from this study provide a deeper insight into the genomic regions under selection under the effects of urbanization and environmental contamination.
Surinder S Chauhan, Minghao Zhang, Richard Osei-Amponsah, Iain Clarke, Veerasamy Sejian, Robyn Warner, and Frank R Dunshea
Oxford University Press (OUP)
https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfad046 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © Chauhan, Zhang, Osei-Amponsah, Clarke, Sejian, Warner, Dunshea Feature Article Impact of heat stress on ruminant livestock production and meat quality, and strategies for amelioration
Hacer Tüfekci and Veerasamy Sejian
MDPI AG
Products obtained from sheep have an economically important place in the world. Their adaptability to different climatic conditions, their ease of care and feeding, their high utilization of poor pasture areas with low yield and quality, the ease of flock management, their high twinning rate, and their short intergenerational period are some of the advantages of sheep production. Sheep production has the ability to adapt better to environmental stress factors, as can be understood from the presence of sheep in different geographical regions at a global level. However, the changes in environmental conditions and production cause some negative results in animals. All these negative results expose animals to various stress factors (heat, cold, transport, treatment, nutritional, shearing, weaning, etc.). All stress factors that directly and indirectly affect sheep production ultimately lead to compromised performance, decreased productivity, increased mortality, and adverse effects on the immune system. In order to cope with the current stress parameters in animals and to achieve optimum production, a holistic approach is needed according to the environmental conditions and available resources. It is important to consider the factors involved in these responses in order to manage these processes correctly and to develop adequate strategies and improve sheep welfare. This review aimed to reveal the importance of some stress factors in sheep and their effects on sheep productivity.
C. G. Shashank, R. G. Prashant, Parveen Kumar, Nitish A. Kulkarni, Manish Tiwari, S. Jayakumar, and V. Sejian
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Concepta McManus, Felipe Pimentel, Daniel Pimentel, Veerasamy Sejian, and Harvey Blackburn
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Silpa Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Veerasamy Sejian, Chinnasamy Devaraj, Gundallahalli Bayyappa Manjunathareddy, Wilfred Ruban, Vinod Kadam, Sven König, and Raghavendra Bhatta
MDPI AG
A novel study was conducted to elucidate heat-stress responses on a number of hair- and skin-based traits in two indigenous goat breeds using a holistic approach that considered a number of phenotypic and genomic variables. The two goat breeds, Kanni Aadu and Kodi Aadu, were subjected to a simulated heat-stress study using the climate chambers. Four groups consisting of six goats each (KAC, Kaani Aadu control; KAH, Kanni Aadu heat stress; KOC, Kodi Aadu control; and KOH, Kodi Aadu heat stress) were considered for the study. The impact of heat stress on caprine skin tissue along with a comparative assessment of the thermal resilience of the two goat breeds was assessed. The variables considered were hair characteristics, hair cortisol, hair follicle quantitative PCR (qPCR), sweating (sweating rate and active sweat gland measurement), skin histometry, skin-surface infrared thermography (IRT), skin 16S rRNA V3-V4 metagenomics, skin transcriptomics, and skin bisulfite sequencing. Heat stress significantly influenced the hair fiber characteristics (fiber length) and hair follicle qPCR profile (Heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70), HSP90, and HSP110). Significantly higher sweating rate, activated sweat gland number, skin epithelium, and sweat gland number (histometry) were observed in heat stressed goats. The skin microbiota was also observed to be significantly altered due to heat stress, with a relatively higher alteration being noticed in Kanni Aadu goats than in Kodi Aadi goats. Furthermore, the transcriptomics and epigenetics analysis also pointed towards the significant impact of heat stress at the cellular and molecular levels in caprine skin tissue. The higher proportion of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) along with higher differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in Kanni Aadu goats due to heat stress when compared to Kodi Aadu goats pointed towards the better resilience of the latter breed. A number of established skin, adaptation, and immune-response genes were also observed to be significantly expressed/methylated. Additionally, the influence of heat stress at the genomic level was also predicted to result in significant functional alterations. This novel study thereby highlights the impact of heat stress on the caprine skin tissue and also the difference in thermal resilience exhibited by the two indigenous goat breeds, with Kodi Aadu goats being more resilient.
Deepak Sharma, Sankar Kaniamuthan, Ayyasamy Manimaran, Arumugam Kumaresan, Muniandy Sivaram, Duraisamy Rajendran, Pratik Ramesh Wankhade, Veerasamy Sejian, and Sughra Banu
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
AbstractSubclinical mastitis (SCM) is a major health problem of dairy animals in India and across the globe. An identification of potential risk factors of SCM can help for efficient udder health management in dairy animals. In this study, apparently healthy cows (HF crossbred: n = 45; Deoni: n = 43) were screened for SCM during different seasons through milk somatic cell count (SCC: reference test using 200 × 103 cells/ml as cut off value), California mastitis test (CMT) and differential electrical conductivity (DEC) test at an organized research farm. SCM positive milk samples (n = 34) were inoculated in selective media for Coliform sp., Streptococcus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. and DNA was isolated (n = 10) for species confirmation by 16s rRNA method. Both bivariate and multivariate models were used for risk assessment. We found the cumulative prevalence of 31 and 65% SCM in Deoni and crossbred cows, respectively. Screening of 328 crossbred cows under field conditions revealed point prevalence of 55% SCM. Multivariate analysis revealed stage of lactation (SOL), milk yield in previous lactation and test day milk yield in Deoni cows, as well as parity and mastitis treatment history in current lactation in HF crossbred cows as risk factors. SOL was a significant factor under field conditions. Receiver operated characteristic curve analysis revealed better accuracy of CMT than DEC. We found more mixed infections due to Staphylococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp. in culture, while 16s rRNA based molecular method revealed lesser-known pathogens associated with SCM. It is concluded that SCM prevalence rate is higher in crossbred than indigenous cows and these breeds have different risk factors for SCM. HF crossbred cows had similar SCM prevalence rate under different farming conditions, where CMT can be used for SCM diagnosis with excellent accuracy. The 16s rRNA method is useful for specific identification of lesser known and emerging mastitis pathogens.
Concepta McManus, Felipe Pimentel, Daniel Pimentel, Veerasamy Sejian, and Harvey Blackburn
Elsevier BV
Silpa Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Kerstin Brügemann, Shahin Alam, Tong Yin, Chinnasamy Devaraj, Veerasamy Sejian, Eva Schlecht, and Sven König
MDPI AG
A comprehensive study was conducted to assess the effects of seasonal transition and temperature humidity index (THI) on the adaptive responses in crossbred dairy cows reared in a tropical savanna region. A total of 40 lactating dairy cattle reared by small-scale dairy farmers in Bengaluru, India, were selected for this study. The research period comprised the transitioning season of summer to monsoon, wherein all traits were recorded at two points, one representing late summer (June) and the other early monsoon (July). A set of extensive variables representing physiological responses (pulse rate, respiration rate, rectal temperature, skin surface temperature), hematological responses (hematological profile), production (test day milk yield, milk composition) and molecular patterns (PBMC mRNA relative expression of selective stress response genes) were assessed. A significant effect of seasonal transition was identified on respiration rate (RR), skin surface temperature, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDWc), test day milk yield and on milk composition variables (milk density, lactose, solids-not-fat (SNF) and salts). The THI had a significant effect on RR, skin surface temperature, platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT) and PDWc. Lastly, THI and/or seasonal transition significantly affected the relative PBMC mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), interferon beta (IFNβ), IFNγ, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) genes. The results from this study reveal environmental sensitivity of novel physiological traits and gene expressions to climatic stressors, highlighting their potential as THI-independent heat stress biomarkers.
Ebenezer Binuni Rebez, Veerasamy Sejian, Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan Silpa, and Frank R. Dunshea
MDPI AG
Heat stress causes functional and metabolic alterations in different cells and tissues. There are several pathomorphological changes and biomarkers associated with head load in adaptive and productive organs of livestock. Heat stress-induced histopathological alterations in livestock were categorized as degenerative changes (fatty degeneration, steatosis, hydropic degeneration), necrosis (pyknosis, fibrosis), circulatory disturbances (hyperemia, edema, hemorrhage, congestion, thrombosis, ischemia), growth disturbances (hyperplasia, atrophy) and focal/diffuse inflammation (vascular changes, exudation). Upon immunohistochemical analysis, the biomarkers identified in growth-related organs were HSP70, HSP60, GABA, GABAAR, GABABR, HSP90, GnRH, LH, FSH, m6A, Nrf2, and C/EBPβ. The biomarkers in the reproductive organs were HSP70, Bax, Bcl-2, GABA, GABAAR, GABABR, Caspase-3, HSP90, HSPB9, HSPB10, HSF1, HSP40, T, E2, Cyt-C, CAT, BCL2L1, and VEGF. The identified biomarkers in the immune organs were CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, HSP70, and Bcl-2. All these biomarkers could serve as reliable variables in heat stress assessment in livestock. Further, HSP70, HSP90, HSP60, NPY, HSP27, Bcl-2, NF-κB, AQP2, Insulin, CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD172a, EGF, AQP1, AQP3, AQP4, AQP5, CRYAB, GHR, 5-HT, CCK, and GLP-1 are heat stress-related biomarkers in adaptive organs that help in assessing the climate resilience of a livestock species and improving understanding about adaptive mechanisms. Among these biomarkers, HSP70 was established to be the ideal cellular biomarker for scaling heat response in livestock. Thus, examining heat-stressed organ histopathology and identifying cellular markers by immunohistochemistry may lay the foundation for screening climate-resilient livestock breeds in the challenging climatic scenario. Further, such an approach could help in developing concepts to combat the detrimental consequences of heat stress to ensure sustainability in livestock production.
Severino Guilherme Caetano Gonçalves dos Santos, Edilson Paes Saraiva, Severino Gonzaga Neto, Maria Isabelly Leite Maia, Angela M. Lees, Verassamy Sejian, Alex Sandro Campos Maia, Geovergue Rodrigues de Medeiros, and Vinícius de França Carvalho Fonsêca
Frontiers Media SA
This review makes an attempt to characterize the physical attributes of heat tolerance, thermal equilibrium and thermal stress thresholds for dairy cows living in tropical environments, with a particular emphasis on pasture-based systems. Under such circumstances, the radiant heat load is the principal climatic factor that determines rates of heat and mass exchanges between cows and the environment. This fact may explain why simple mechanistic models based on air temperature and humidity are not adequately predicting thermal stress thresholds for cattle in tropical regions. To overcome this limitation, the Index of Thermal Stress for Cows (ITSC) and Index for the time spent in shade (ITS), which account for various sources of thermal radiation, were proposed to predict autonomous and behavioral thermoregulation of cows. Overall, the evolutionary adaptation of cattle in tropics favored animals that have cutaneous surface with a skin well protected against penetration of ultraviolet solar radiation (UV), covered by a coat surface with high thermal conductivity. For Holstein breed, although predominantly black animals absorb greater levels of short-wave solar radiation, they may present better protection of skin than white ones. However, dark-colored cows in tropical pastures have potential to absorb as much as 640 W m−2 of thermal radiation. This amount of heat load would require close to 1,300 g h−1 of cutaneous evaporative water loss through sweating to prevent increases to body temperature, where cows do not have access to shade. Cows are motivated to reduce time spent grazing and to seek shade when solar irradiance exceeds 550 W m−2, levels that in equatorial latitudes are likely to occur between 08:00 and 16:00h. This information may help producers improve the welfare of cows, as they can determine more comfortable hours for them to graze, for example, by employing nocturnal grazing. Over the daytime, cows should have access to areas with shade and this could include shade provided via solar panels, which has the potential to improve thermal comfort and sustainability of dairy production in tropical areas.
D. Thirunavukkarasu, M. Jothilakshmi, M.V. Silpa, and V. Sejian
Elsevier BV
P.V. Spandan, W. Ruban, V. Sejian, C. Devaraj, M.V. Silpa, V.B. Awachat, G.B. Manjunathareddy, and R. Bhatta
Elsevier BV
Veerasamy Sejian, Chikamagalore Gopalakrishna Shashank, Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan Silpa, Aradotlu Parameshwarappa Madhusoodan, Chinnasamy Devaraj, and Sven Koenig
MDPI AG
Non-invasive methods of detecting heat stress magnitude for livestock is gaining momentum in the context of global climate change. Therefore, the objective of this review is to focus on the synthesis information pertaining to recent efforts to develop heat stress detection systems for livestock based on multiple behavioral and physiological responses. There are a number of approaches to quantify farm animal heat stress response, and from an animal welfare point of view, these can be categorized as invasive and non-invasive approaches. The concept of a non-invasive approach to assess heat stress primarily looks into behavioral and physiological responses which can be monitored without any human interference or additional stress on the animal. Bioclimatic thermal indices can be considered as the least invasive approach to assess and/or predict the level of heat stress in livestock. The quantification and identification of the fecal microbiome in heat-stressed farm animals is one of the emerging techniques which could be effectively correlated with animal adaptive responses. Further, tremendous progress has been made in the last decade to quantify the classical heat stress endocrine marker, cortisol, non-invasively in the feces, urine, hair, saliva and milk of farm animals. In addition, advanced technologies applied for the real-time analysis of cardinal signs such as sounds through microphones, behavioral images, videos through cameras, and data stalking body weight and measurements might provide deeper insights towards improving biological metrics in livestock exposed to heat stress. Infrared thermography (IRT) can be considered another non-invasive modern tool to assess the stress response, production, health, and welfare status in farm animals. Various remote sensing technologies such as ear canal sensors, rumen boluses, rectal and vaginal probes, IRT, and implantable microchips can be employed in grazing animals to assess the quantum of heat stress. Behavioral responses and activity alterations to heat stress in farm animals can be monitored using accelerometers, Bluetooth technology, global positioning systems (GPSs) and global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs). Finally, machine learning offers a scalable solution in determining the heat stress response in farm animals by utilizing data from different sources such as hardware sensors, e.g., pressure sensors, thermistors, IRT sensors, facial recognition machine vision sensors, radio frequency identification, accelerometers, and microphones. Thus, the recent advancements in recording behavior and physiological responses offer new scope to quantify farm animals’ heat stress response non-invasively. These approaches could have greater applications in not only determining climate resilience in farm animals but also providing valuable information for defining suitable and accurate amelioration strategies to sustain their production.
P.K. Malik, S. Trivedi, A.P. Kolte, V. Sejian, R. Bhatta, and H. Rahman
Elsevier BV
PRATIK RAMESH WANKHADE, Manimaran Ayyasamy, ARUMUGAM KUMARESAN, MUNIANDY SIVARAM, VEERASAMY SEJIAN, and DURAISAMY RAJENDRAN
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture
This study aimed to estimate the changes in the milk yield, milk fat, energy indicators [NEFA, BHBA, Dry MatterIntake (DMI) and Body Condition Score (BCS)] and concentration of innate immune molecules (Haptoglobin: Hp,Serum Amyloid A: SAA, TLR-4, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8), during the transition period in primiparous andmultiparous dual-purpose zebu (Deoni) cows. The blood sample was collected at weekly intervals during pre-partum (-21±2, -14±1, -7±1, d), date of calving (day 0), and postpartum period (3±1, 7±1, 14±1, 21±2 d) for estimationof the above plasma variables using commercially available bovine specific ELISA kits. DMI and BCS duringthe corresponding period were also recorded. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model considering group,time and their interaction as fixed effects. Group, time and their interaction had significant effect on DMI whereprimiparous cows consumed higher DMI during early postpartum period as compared to multiparous cows. Groupalone had significant effect on milk yield, milk fat per cent and BHBA level while time alone influenced BCS.The interaction of group and time had significant effects on plasma TLR-4 and IL-8 concentration. Group alsohad significant effect on Hp and TNF-α levels. It was concluded that parity had significant effect on metabolicand immune indicators where higher DMI during transition period resulted in more milk yield in primiparous thanmultiparous indigenous (Deoni) cows.
Silpa Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Kerstin Brügemann, Ana Pinto, Tong Yin, Marion Reichenbach, Veerasamy Sejian, Raghavendra Bhatta, Eva Schlecht, and Sven König
MDPI AG
Among all livestock systems in tropical regions, the dairy sector is facing huge challenges to sustain productivity under the rapidly changing climatic conditions. To date, there is a lack of knowledge on the combined effects of climate, season, and farm location on trait responses in different cattle breeds. Consequently, this study presents a novel approach to assess the impact of several climatic and geographical factors on production traits, energy efficiency indicators, and hygiene traits in dairy cattle reared across the rural–urban interface in the tropical savanna region of Bengaluru, a rising megacity in southern India. In total, 96 cattle were selected across Bengaluru’s rural–urban interface, reflecting a broad variety of social-ecological systems. The traits considered included test day milk yield (MY), body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW), hock assessment score (HAS), udder hygiene score (UHS), and upper leg hygiene score (ULHS). Apart from cow-related factors such as breed, lactation stage, lactation number, and milking frequency, the environmental classification variables of season, farm location (as expressed by survey stratification index, SSI), and temperature humidity index (THI) significantly affected most of the traits, with indication for breed-by-environment interactions. In particular, season significantly influenced production and hygiene traits. Furthermore, an evident breed variation was observed in the seasonal influence on BW, wherein exotic cows had a higher BW than crossbreds during the summer season. The distinct trend of SSI in its influence on most of the traits indicates that cows housed in urban areas had better trait expression than those in rural areas, thereby revealing a predominant role of management. The THI had a significant effect on MY, BCS, and HAS, and THI = 75 was identified as heat stress threshold. The results indicate the importance of considering ecological, social, and climatic factors simultaneously in order to improve primary and functional breed-specific traits of dairy cattle reared in challenging environments.
Rajib Deb, Vinicius De França Carvalho Fonsêca, Rita Payan-Carreira, Veerasamy Sejian, and Angela M. Lees
Frontiers Media SA
1 Animal Health Division, ICAR-National Research Center on Pig, Guwahati, India, Division of Physiology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil, Comprehensive Health Research Centre and Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Evora, Évora, Portugal, Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India, 5 School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
N. Ramachandran and V. Sejian
Elsevier BV
Vinícius F. C. Fonsêca, Edilson P. Saraiva, José D. C. dos Santos, Larissa Kellen da Cunha Morais, Sheila T. Nascimento, Cíntia C. de Melo Costa, Gustavo B. Moura, Geni Caetano Xavier Neta, Kênia C. Bícego, Veerasamy Sejian,et al.
Springer Singapore