EFFECT OF EXTENDERS AND ADDITIVES ON PRESERVABILITY OF CATTLE AND BUFFALO SEMEN AT 5-DEGREES-C AND -196-DEGREES-C

The keeping quality (at 5-degrees-C), freezability and its correlation s were studied under split-sample technique in 18 ejaculates each from 3 Friesian and 3 Murrah bulls. Extenders, viz. TFYG, EYCG and LYG, ea ch without or with addition of cysteine 0.1%, EDTA 0.1% or raffinose 1 .0% were used. Both the traits were significantly (P<0.01) influenced by the bulls, additives, extenders, storage periods and dilutor X bull /period interactions in cattle as well as buffalo semen. The mean moti lity scores recorded after 0, 48 and 96 hr of storage (at 5-degrees-C) and on freezing-thawing were, respectively, 81.20+/-0.35, 66.02+/-0.8 9, 40.81+/-1.60 and 46.92+/-0.70% in Friesian; and 82.96+/-0.34,61.02/-0.99,30.93+/-1.49 and 47.38+/-0.84% in.Murrah. The sperm motility wa s higher in cattle semen than in buffalo semen at all intervals, excep t during first 24 hr of refrigeration and at post-thawing. Keeping qua lity and freezability were significantly (P<0.01) better in tris (by 1 8-20%) than the citrate or lactose diluents among both the species. Si milarly, these traits were improved significantly (P<0.01) by 10-12% i n the presence of cysteine and /or EDTA as compared to raffinose or in controls. The sperm motility traits of liquid and frozen thawed semen at various storage interval had highly significant positive correlati ons among both the species (0.68 to 0.98). Freezability of semen thus could be predicted based on its keeping quality at 5-degrees-C.