TEHRAN- After ten years, Iranian researchers compiled the first collection of cow embryos with outstanding genetics. 

Embryo Transfer (ET) is an advanced reproductive technology and a progressive tool that can help you produce more offspring from an elite cow and can extend the impact of outstanding cattle genetics. 

The project was carried out in the Department of Biological Technologies of Avicenna Research Institute, the institute reported on Thursday. 

Avicenna Research Institute has imported a limited number of cows with outstanding genetics. Now, a collection of embryos from different breeds including beef cattle, dairy cattle and dual-purpose (milk and meat) cattle is made, raising hopes among the cattle ranchers to easily access the best cattle inside the country. 

According to the institute, the national project is aimed at using the most up-to-date reproductive technologies in order to reduce costs and increase the production. 

Based on the project, the elite cows in every herd are selected; then, by using in-vitro fertilization (IVF), new embryos are created in laboratory and are placed into recipient females. 

The project aims to annually produce 60 embryos from every elite cow. 

The national project of “Breeding Elite Cows with using IVF” was officially selected as the “top project” in Biological Technologies Department of Avicenna Research Institute in the Iranian year 1396 (March 2017- March 2018) and many governmental and private organizations expressed their readiness to preorder its final products. 

According to Avicenna Research Institute, the project can reduce the import of elite breeds of cows such as Jersey cattle, Simmental cattle and Charolais cattle. Importing such breeds of cattle is very costly and is among the largest problems of Iran’s cattle industry.  

The cattle industry involves the production of cattle for various purposes, including beef, hides, dairy, and other products. Cattle also provide us with many other by-products – parts of the cow that are used to make products for home, health, food and industry. Byproducts are value-added products other than beef that come from cattle. They are of considerably less value than the primary product, which is beef.

SJ/MG