Studies on changes in physiological parameters of red Kandhari and Khillar bullocks during sugarcane carting operation

Abstract

The sugar industry of Maharashtra is providing direct and indirect employment in the rural sector. Transportation of sugarcane from field to factory. Red Kandhari bullocks and to some extent Khillar bullocks are among the draught animal is the main animal power source for sugarcane transportation. The present work was planned at the RKRI,COVAS, MAFSU Parbhani and the field trials were also taken at Yogeshwari Sugar Factory Pvt. Ltd., At- Limba, Ta- Pathri, Dist- Parbhani. Each trial was repeated for 3 consecutive days and sugarcane carting operation at each load and road was carried out for one hour, cumulatively four and half hours of work from 9.00 to 2.00 hours was carried out during the experimental period. The two bullock pairs of Red Kandhari and Khillar with uniform age group, body weight and body size and were selected and used for sugarcane carting operation. Sugarcane carting trials were conducted with iron bullock cart with pneumatic tyres at various road conditions i.e. Field road (R1 from sugarcane field upto road), Katcha road (R2 from the end of field road upto the start of tar road) and tar road (R3 from the start of tar road to factory) by providing rest of half an hour at each road condition with various load conditions i.e. 2.5 (L1), 2.0 (L2), 1.5 (L3) and 1.0 ton (L4) of sugarcane and observations were compared with each other. The physiological parameters i.e. respiration rate, pulse rate and rectal temperature increases as there is increase in load and decreasing the road condition. The linear increase in the physiological responses of Red Kandhari and Khillar bullocks carting from field to katcha and tar road conditions may be due to the cumulative effect of carting exercise with insufficient resting period to bring back the physiology to the normal condition.