Grati-Ongole-crossbred cattle (POGASI Agrinak) development on farm kept in diverse agroecological zones

The Indonesian Beef Cattle Research Station (BCRS) has undertaken conservation and improvement of Grati-Ongole crossbred cattle (POGASI Agrinak) by distributing selected cattle into some provinces in Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate the productive performance of the calves born in different agroecological zones. Sixty-seven male and female POGASI Agrinak were distributed in Indonesia including in upland (e.g., in 50 Kota, Payakumbuh, one bull, and nine cows and Pule, Trenggalek, one bull, and eight cows) and in low land (e.g., in Jember, one bull and six cows, Indramayu, one bull and six cows, Situbondo, 25 bulls and Tanahlaut, South Kalimantan, ten bulls). The cattle were kept under diverse environmental and management systems. The natural mating system was applied in communal pens using selected bulls. The parameters observed were the number of calves and the birth weight. It resulted in 168 calves born in the upland and five calves born in low land. While the birth weight of calves born in lowland and upland was 25.8 + 1.6 kg and 25.2 + 2.4 kg respectively. Meanwhile, the birth weight of calves in BCRS was 25.3 + 25 kg. To conclude, the birth weight both in BCRS and in those sites' ex-situ was comparable.