I. GENERAL 

1. Population. According to the recent census, Vietnam has more than 2.9
million buffaloes, represents 7% of the total buffalo population in East
and Southeast Asia, and 46% of the total bovine (cattle and buffalo )
population in Vietnam. Annual increasing in buffalo population was about
1.7% during 1976 to 1986, and 0.73 % during 1990 to 1995. 

2. Genetic diversity 

2.1 Swamp buffalo. Native buffalo in Vietnam are of Swamp type with
diploid chromosome number of 48. There is no official division into
breeds or strains, but they are recognized with local name according to
the different breeding areas such as Cao Bang, Nghe An and Tay Nguyen.
Swamp type buffalo have been selectively bred mainly for draught
purposes. Selection for large size, highth, hair swirls, long and solid
horns has been practiced. The average live weigh varies from 400 to 600
kg for adult female and 500 to 700 kg for adult males. Some large
buffaloes with weights of 1000 kg and over have been reported from
highland areas. ( Cockrill, 1974). 

2.2 Crossbreeds. In 1923 and then in 1970, about 2000 Murrahs buffaloes
were introduced from India and Bulgaria for crossbreeding programs. 

3. Production. 

3.1. Swamp buffalo. Swamp type buffalo are characterized by low milk
yield of about 500 kg/cycle. However, these type usually exibit high
draught power, disease resistance and rapid growth rate ( 500-513
g/day). 

3.2. Crossbreeds The offspring of Murrahs-Swamp crosses usually exibit
about 40-60% higher weight-gains, 4% increase in carcass recovery
percentage ( 52% ) and about 40% increase in milk yield ( 707 kg/cycle)
( N. D. Thac, 1979) 

4. Social and economic aspects. Buffalo breeding in Vietnam is
traditional. They have been used as an important resources for draught
power and manure fertilization in a rice based culture. In lowland areas
they have been bred on small village farms usually having about one to
five animals. In the highlands they are usually allow to graze free in
forest areas in groups of 100-200 animals. The development of buffalo
breeding for meat production has been increasing during recent years.
Water buffalo have assumed an important proportion of meat production in
Vietnam, but potential for larger scale industrial buffalo breeding has
not yet been exploited. 

II. RESEARCH AND APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY. 

1.Semen distribution and A.I Semen distribution and A.I using fresh or
frozen Murrah semen on swamp type females has been carried out. Rates of
conception have been reported around at about 50%. 

2. Superovulation The ovarian superovulatory response to treatments
using eCG or follicle stimulating hormone has been reported to be much
lower in buffalo than in cattle. The mean number of CL were 0,91 (uoc et
all, 1992). The follicular population in ovaries of swamp buffalo was
reported to be poor compared with that in native cattle ( Ty et all,
1988). The method of superovulation with supplementation of estradiol-17
( to gonadotropin ( eCG, 4000 I.U ) was used successfully for embryo
production. Average ovulation rate was 9.1 per donor, rate of embryo
recovery and embryos of good quality were 53% and 70% , respectively (
uoc et all,1992; 1997) The results of investigation with young buffaloes
indicate that it is possible to use these animals for embryo production.
The advantages of this approach is the considerable reducion of
generation interval which is very long in buffalo ( 4-6 years ). The
nonsurgical collection of embryos in young swamp buffaloes is almost
impossible on a practical basis. Therefore, a system of monthly
superovulation and endoscopic collection is proposed. Embryo production
by IVM-IVF (in-vitro maturation and in-vitro fertilization) can also be
used to increase quantity and quality of embryos. 

3. Estrus synchronization Estrus is often silent in the buffalo, and the
circulating levels of estrogen have been reported to be low when
compared with that in cattle. Some results have shown that the
supplementation of estradiol-17( and hCG treatment significantly
improves the rate of ovulation and estrus synchronization in swamp
buffalo. 

4. In vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization (IVM-IVF). Studies to
develop embryo production by in vitro maturation and fertilization using
oocyte production from young buffaloes have been undertaken. Rate of
oocytes fertilized and developed into morula-blastocysts were 35 % and 6
%, respectively. 

5. Cryopreservation and cryobanking Embryo conservation was performed
using methods of rapid freezing after partial dehydration which have
been applied successfully in cattle ( Nguyen et all, 1984). Rate of
intact embryos and of embryo developed in vitro after thawing were 72 %
and 36 % , respectively. Evidence is very strong that work on water
buffalo germplasm conservation must start as soon as possible. Water
buffalo biodiversity is in danger of being rapidly lost in the next
decade because of several developments: 1) the large scale slaughter of
breeding stock for meat production 2) the accelerated rate of habitat
destruction 3) the rapid extension of cattle based meat and dairy
production 4) the mechanization in rice production. 

6. Embryo manipulation Research on sexing using embryo biopsy and PCR,
in vitro culture of blastomeres has been carried out since last year. 

III. PERSPECTIVES The following program is proposed for the development
of R & D in buffalo: 

1). Embryo banking: Immediate cryopreservation of embryos collected from
representative groups of buffaloes in Northern mountain area, Western
Highland, Central coast, Mekong Delta area and Red River Delta. This
should include systematic cataloguing of animals and the establishment
of a data bank for represented buffalo groups. 

2) Embryo production : Investigation of further improvement in embryo
production. In particular, embryo production by superovulation using
suplementation of estradiol and the use of increased in-vitro
fertilization of oocytes collected from superovulated young buffaloes. 

3) Application of molecular methods for studying the genetic diversity. 

4) Developing of buffalo breeding for meat production in large scale
production facilities. 

A regional and international effort to organize and fund this type of
program is required if it is to be successful.
****************************** Dr. Bui Xuan Nguyen
 ,a listserv discussion participant from Vietnam
has provided this information about Bubalus development in that country.
We are very grateful to him for the time and effort.
********************************* 

IV REFERENCES 

1. NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N. T, HEYMAN. (1988). Superovulation in
swamp buffaloes. 2nd World Buffalo Congress, New Delhi, V.1, 60. 

2. TY. L. V, NGUYEN.B.X, DRIANCOURT.M, CHUPIN. D.(1988) Histological
study of buffalo ovary. 2nd World Buffalo Congress, New Delhi, V.1, 122.

3. NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N. T ( 1990) Buffalo breeding in Vietnam.
Proceeding of the FAO Workshop on Open Nucleus Breeding Systems,
Bulgaria, Nov 18-23, p 210-216. 

4. NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N. T ( 1990) Model of ONBS-MOET for
buffalo genetic improvement in Vietnam. Proceeding of the FAO Workshop
on Open Nucleus Breeding Systems, Bulgaria, Nov 18-23, p 283-286. 

5. NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N. T, LONG. D. D, TICH. N. K (1990). Study
of embryo transfer in cattle and buffalo. Rapport of National Project
52D -0113, 1986-1990. 30 p 

6.NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N.T , DRIANCOURT.M ( 1991 ) Effect of PMSG
on ovaries of young swamp buffaloes of 3 and 7 months of age. 3rd World
Buffalo Congress,Varna, May 13-18, V1, 93. 

7. NGUYEN.B.X, TY. L. V, UOC. N. T, LONG. D. D ( 1991 ) Buffalo breeding
in Vietnam : status of research and development activities in
reproductive biotechnology. Proceeding of the FAO Workshop on Open
Nucleus Breeding Systems, Bulgaria,varna, May 13-18, 39-43. 

8. UOC. N. T, TY. L. V, NGUYEN. B. X, LONG. D.D,CHUPIN. D, BECKER. J-F,
RENARD.J.P. (1992). Effect of Estradiol supplementation on
superovulation in swamp buffalo. Theriogenelogy. 38, 471-478. 

9. TY. L. V,NGUYEN.B.X, SON. H.N, DRIANCOURT.M.M.A.( 1993 )
Superovulation and ovarian follicular population of infant buffaloes and
calves. J. of Animal Sci. 102, 23-28. 

10. NGUYEN. B.X., TY. L. V., DUC. N. H., UOC. N. T, (1994) Preliminary
results of in vitro maturation and fertilization in native yellow cattle
and in Swamp buffalo. Annual report of Institute of Biotechnology,
166-167. 

11. TY. L. V., NGUYEN. B.X., DUC. N. H., UOC. N. T ( 1994 ) Compared
study of folliculogenesis in young cattle and buffalo. Annual report of
Institute of Biotechnology, 144-150 . 

12. NGUYEN. B.X., TY. L. V., DUC. N. H., LONG. D.D., UOC. N. T, (1996).
Preliminary study of preservation of buffalo genetic biodiversity by
embryo technology . 1996. Proceedings of 2nd ABA Congress, Manila,
Philippines , 215-220 

13. UOC. N. T., DUC. N. H., NGUYEN. B.X., TY. L. V., (1996) Nuclear
maturation of swamp buffalo's oocytes cultured in T-199 supplemented
with FSH and Estadiol-17b. Bulletin of Biology, in press 

14. NGUYEN. B.X., TY. L. V., DUC. N. H., UOC. N. T, ( 1997) Quantitative
and qualities of aspects of oocyte collection for in vitro maturation
and fertilization : a comparative study in swamp buffalo and in native
yellow cattle. Bulletin of Biology, in press 

15. UOC. N. T., TY . L.V., LONG. D. D, CHUPIN. D, RENARD. J-P, NGUYEN.
B. X (1997) Effect of supplementation of estradiol-17b to supeovulatory
regime on ovarian response and embryo quality in cycling swamp buffalo (
bubalus bubalis ). J. of Animal. Science. 47, 181-187.