Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKU) in Burdur, as the first university with an embryo production permit, has started embryo transfers outside the university farm. The Genetic and Embryo Technologies Application and Research Center (GETEM), which was started about 6 years ago within MAKU and has been producing embryos for the last three years, responds to the demands of breeders who want to get more offspring from high genetic breeds.
MAKU, which has received a production permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, contributes to both the region and the national economy with this study and aims to reduce dependency on imports in the field of quality breeding cattle with embryo transfer. The studies were started in the center and district villages of Burdur.
This study of MAKU is considered an important step in the field of embryo transfer in Turkey and promises a great potential in the livestock sector nationwide.
The Success Story of Embryo Transfer
Osman Akay, the Business Manager who spoke about the embryo transfer carried out at the Aysel Karagöz farm, which was given a gold business certificate by MAKU in Bucak, stated that this procedure greatly benefited their production. Akay said, "A laboratory environment and a competent team are needed for embryo transfer. It was impossible for us to collect embryos with our own means and transplant them again. Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University provided great support in this regard."
Akay stated that thanks to embryo transfer, they were able to obtain 10-15 embryos a year from animals that could normally get one calf a year, and they accelerated their production by transferring these embryos to carrier mothers. He emphasized that they obtained higher yield and a sustainable herd with this method.
First Steps of GETEM in the Field
Prof. Dr. Yunus Çetin, the Director of the Embryo Technologies Application and Research Center (GETEM), stated that they started to go out to the field in the embryo production project they started 6 years ago. Çetin said, "We produced embryos in cows with high milk yield in the enterprise. We transfer these embryos to genetically lower heifers, and we get high genetic offspring. Normally, we could get 4 calves from 4 high-yielding cows in a year, but with this method, we can get 20-25 calves."
Çetin, stating that embryo transfer is not a common practice in Turkey, said that MAKU is a pioneer in this field and the system they established in the university farm has started to be implemented in the field. Çetin said, "We must do successful work so that there are no problems in the field. Now there is an established system and we use this technology in the field," he concluded.
