Climate Resilient Breeds and Adaptation Strategies in Indian Livestock: Securing Productivity in a Warming World

Tanmay Mondal¹, Mokshata Gupta², Rachana Sharma¹, Chetna Mahajan¹, Pallavi Khajuria¹ and Ravindra Kumar¹

¹Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Science, GADVASU, Rampura Phul, Punjab-151103

²Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, DUVASU, Mathura, U.P-281001

Climate change is emerging as a major challenge to livestock production worldwide, with India being particularly vulnerable due to its tropical climate, diverse agro-ecological zones, and high dependence on rain-fed agriculture. Livestock farmers are already witnessing the adverse effects of rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, heatwaves, droughts, and emerging diseases on animal health, productivity, and reproductive performance.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2023), a 1°C rise in ambient temperature can reduce milk production in dairy cattle by 10-30% depending on breed and environmental stress. Heat stress disrupts feed intake, hormonal balance, immunity, and metabolic rate, especially in high-yielding exotic breeds such as Holstein Friesians. Therefore, adopting climate-resilient breeds and sustainable adaptation strategies is not just an option but a necessity for safeguarding livestock-based livelihoods in India.

What Makes a Breed “Climate-Resilient”?

Climate-resilient breeds are genetically adapted to survive, grow, and reproduce efficiently under extreme climatic conditions. These animals show:

• Higher thermo-tolerance, ability to maintain body temperature
• Disease resistance, especially to tick-borne and parasitic infections
• Efficient feed conversion even with low-quality roughage
• Better reproductive efficiency under heat stress
• Lower mortality and longer productive life

Indigenous breeds of cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats have evolved over centuries in local climates and thus possess adaptive traits unmatched by exotic breeds.

Promising Indian Breeds for Heat and Drought Tolerance

Table: Indian breeds with exceptional climate resilience:

Species	Breed	Adaptive Traits	Region
Cattle	Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Gir	High heat tolerance, good milk yield	North-Western India
Buffalo	Banni, Jaffarabadi, Murrah	Heat and tick resistance	Gujarat, Haryana
Sheep	Deccani, Marwari, Nellore	Tolerant to drought, walk long distances	Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh
Goat	Osmanabadi, Barbari, Black Bengal	Thrive on low-quality fodder, high kidding rate	Central & Eastern India

Physiological and Genetic Markers of Climate Resilience

Now-a-days, the focus has been shifted towards understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms that enable livestock to adapt to climatic stressors. Several biomarkers have been identified that are associated with heat tolerance and overall climate resilience:

• Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) gene expression: These proteins play a crucial role in cellular protection by preventing protein denaturation and assisting in protein repair during heat stress. The indigenous cattle exhibit higher HSP70 expression, contributing to their superior thermotolerance.
• Rectal temperature and respiratory rate: These are commonly used physiological indicators to assess an animal’s thermoregulatory efficiency. Resilient breeds maintain more stable values even under high environmental temperatures.
• Slick hair gene: Present in certain tropical cattle breeds, this gene results in short, sleek hair coats, which enhance heat dissipation and reduce thermal load.
• Antioxidant enzyme activity: Enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) are typically found at higher levels in climate-resilient breeds. These enzymes help neutralize oxidative stress caused by heat exposure.

Adaptation Strategies

In addition to select climate-resilient breeds, livestock farmers can implement several cost-effective and practical adaptation strategies to minimize the negative impacts of heat stress and environmental variability. These strategies include improvements in housing, nutrition, water management, reproductive planning, health care, etc.:

 1. Housing Modifications

• Construct animal shelters with insulated roofs, and install sprinklers to reduce heat load inside sheds.
• Design animal housing in a north-south orientation to minimize direct solar radiation during the hottest parts of the day.

 2. Nutritional Interventions

• Provide electrolyte supplements, along with vitamin E, selenium, and trace minerals to support antioxidant defences and maintain body temperature.
• Adopt Total Mixed Ration practices using high-fibre, easily digestible roughages to reduce heat generated during digestion.

3. Water Management

• Ensure round-the-clock access to clean, cool drinking water, as dehydration significantly increases susceptibility to heat stress.
• Increase the frequency of watering during hot and dry periods to maintain hydration and feed intake.

 4. Breeding and Reproductive Management

• Avoid performing artificial insemination or natural mating during extreme summer months when conception rates are low.
• Use oestrus synchronization protocols to plan breeding during cooler, more favourable seasons for improved reproductive outcomes.

5. Health Management

• Conduct preventive vaccination before the onset of the monsoon to protect animals from vector-borne diseases such as hemorrhagic septicaemia, black quarter, etc.
• Implement regular deworming and tick control programs to reduce the burden of parasites that can further weaken thermoregulation and productivity.

Conclusion

In India, climate change is no longer a distant threat; it’s already impacting farmers’ income and food security. The time is now to embrace climate-resilient livestock breeds and scientifically validated adaptation strategies. Empowering farmers with the right knowledge, tools, and technologies can transform vulnerability into opportunity making our livestock sector more productive, profitable, and sustainable in the face of climate adversity.