Several Asian countries, especially India, depend on buffalo for milk, draft power and livelihood for millions of rural communities. Globally, the buffalo population is estimated at approximately 205 million, with over 98% found in Asia (FAO, 2012). India alone contributes around 56.7% of the world’s buffalo population, with more than 109.85 million animals (DAHD, 2019). Despite these vast genetic resources, only 21 buffalo breeds have been officially recognised and registered by the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal, revealing a significant gap between the total population and the number of defined breeds. According to the 2019 livestock census, 45.4% of the buffaloes are classified as nondescript, 20.3% belong to recognized breeds and 34.3% are graded. Many of these nondescript populations are locally adapted to harsh environmental conditions, resistant to tropical disease and capable of surviving under low-input, poor management systems. However, due to lack of proper identification and classification, their genetic and economic potential remains underutilized and at risk of being lost. As per the 19^th Livestock census in Maharashtra buffalo population comprised 17% of the total livestock and there are four recognized buffalo breeds viz. Nagpuri, Pandharpuri, Marathwadi and Purnathadi.
       
In addition to these, there are several lesser-known bubaline germplasms observed in the state. Melghati buffalo, locally known as ‘Pahadi’, represents lesser-known, nondescript, valuable genetic resources in the hilly areas of Melghat region of Amravati District of Maharashtra (Anonymous, 1911). These buffaloes are well adapted to adverse climatic conditions under minimal input and are popular for producing quality khoa. The region is dominated by tribal culture of Korku tribe, with communities of Gonds, Nihals and others. Mainly Korku, Gawali, Balai and Gaulan etc. communities have been rearing Melghati buffaloes for generations and rely on them for a source of income and sustainable livelihood in hilly region. Despite their economic importance and adaptability, Melghati buffaloes remain unrecognized at the national level. Hence, there is an urgent need to document and characterise Melghati buffalo in its breeding tract. Due to significance of this unique buffalo population, research has been conducted to report on phenotypic, morphometric, productivity, reproduction, management and farmer socio-economic status for Melghati buffalo.

Melghat is located at 21°26′45″N 77°11′50″E in the northern extreme of the Amravati district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, in the South-Western Satpura mountain ranges. Melghat region encompasses a vast area of around 3,970 sq.km (320 villages), out of which 2,768 sq.km is forest cover. Approximately 3 lakh human population resides in Melghat region, amongst which, more than 75% population is tribal. Melghat means ‘meeting of the ghats’, which describes the area as a large tract of unending hills and ravines scarred by jagged cliffs and steep climbs. Melghat region, as a part of Satpura hills has ecological richness with huge flora and fauna biodiversity. The crops like millets, maize, soybean and pulses are cultivated, the forest resources include medicinal plants, bamboo, tendu leaves, honey etc. The Melghat region is popular for wildlife tourism. Melghat tiger reserve was established in the year 1974 and the hill station offers scenic views, waterfalls, Gawilgarh fort and tribal heritage. The “Melghati Buffalo” is a local buffalo germplasm found in Melghat region i.e., Chikhaldara and Dharni tahsils of the Amravati district (Fig 1) of Maharashtra, which is reared primarily for milk purpose by the inhabitants. Chikhaldara is located on high plateau at an altitude of 1100 meters above mean sea level. Melghat region experiences a tropical climate with distinct seasons, a hot and dry summer, a monsoon season with heavy rainfall, pleasant Autum and a cool winter. Summer is from March to May and temperatures can soar, reaching up to 46°C, Monsoon is from June to September. The Melghat region receives 950 mm to 1400 mm of rainfall annually, spread across roughly 60-65 rainy days. Autum is from October to November and Winter is from December to February, with temperatures ranging from 8°C to 30°C and temperatures may drop to 5°C.


       
The present study was conducted in Chikhaldara and Dharni tehsils of the Melghat region, covering 50 villages across these two tehsils (Table 1), which fall within the breeding tract of the Melghati buffalo and the data were collected on a total of 585 buffaloes, including 564 females and 21 males above 3 years of age. Data on morphological traits were collected using pre-structured questionnaires developed by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR), Karnal. The phenotypic traits were documented through direct field observations, including visual assessments of colour, shape and orientation etc. Information pertaining to management practices and the socioeconomic status of the farmers was recorded using a structured questionnaire.


       
The body measurements recorded were horn length (HL); Ear length (EL); Face length, (FL); Face width (FW); Body length (BL); Height of wither (HW); Chest girth (CG); Paunch girth (PG); Distance between hip bone (HB); distance between pin bone (PB) and tail length (TL). All body measurements were recorded using simple tape measure in animal standing upright on a level ground and by the same person to avoid between-recorder effects. The data on production and reproduction traits were recorded through regular field visits.  Milk samples were collected from lactating buffaloes and analysed for estimation of fat % and SNF %, using a milk analyser machine.
       
Morphometric data generated under the study were analysed for descriptive statistics using SPSS software version 21.0.

Socio-economic status of buffalo farmers
 
The Melghat region, with its hilly terrain, is renowned for its rich biodiversity. The socioeconomic status and livelihood of local people in the Melghat region mainly depend on agricultural and livestock rearing. Based on the information collected through survey, the farmers face low living standards and minimal investment in productive assets, even at the primary level. The predominant tribes in the area are the Korkus, who coexist with the Gonds, Nihals, Rathyas and various other communities such as the Balai, Gawali, Gaulan and others. Gawali (NT) and Korku (ST) are principally responsible for preserving and rearing Melghati buffaloes, as this essential germplasm performs an essential part in protecting their livelihood.
       
In survey, Nomadic Tribes (NT) possessed 63.50% of Melghati buffaloes, followed by schedule tribe (35.77%) and schedule caste (0.73%). At least 89% of buffalo keepers were literate and had completed primary/high school/graduation.  Most of Melghati buffalo stakeholders were either landless (24%) or marginal (24%) or small landholders (35%) with inadequate infrastructure. Ali et al. (2019) also reported similar observations of around 90% literacy rate amongst the Purnathadi buffalo farmers, with an equal percentage of landless, marginal and medium-sized farmers. Analysis based on income revealed that 85.5% of the surveyed households had an annual income below ₹1 lakh (Table 2). The source of income for Melghati buffalo farmers is solely dependent on agriculture and livestock rearing.


 
Management practices
 
The study revealed that Melghati buffaloes are reared on extensive management system (Table 2) with minimal inputs without any special management. The breeding male is raised and reared in a single herd along with the females. Buffaloes were maintained on a pastoral management system and very few farmers offered concentrates and feed supplements that too during milking only. The farmers were not much aware of any veterinary or healthcare practice and only 9 % of the farmers followed vaccination for their animals and only natural mating was practised for their animals. The survey revealed that households had an average of 4.39 Melghati buffalo and 12.60 livestock. All farmers allowed their buffaloes to graze freely and the average grazing time was 8.60 hrs/day. The majority of buffalo were kept in open areas, tied with ropes, especially during the night. Main breeding period of Melghati buffalo was July to September.
 
Physical and morphological characteristics
 
The morphological characteristics of Melghati buffalo are summarized in Table 3. The Melghati buffalo had black coat colour with long hair in all the studied population.  Long hair provides excellent insulation against harsh winters and cold environments. It prevents heat loss by retaining warm air near to body. Black coat colour indicates strong pigmentation uniformly (Fig 2 and 3). The colour of muzzle, eyelid, horns and hoof was also recorded as black. Similar findings of black colour for body coat, eyes, muzzle, hooves, eyelashes and horns were reported by Chafle (1992) and Kolte and Sadekar (1996) in Nagpuri buffalo. Contrast findings were reported by Dar et al. (2018) in buffalo reared in Kashmir Valley; Khatke et al., (2023) in the Konkan region of buffaloes. Ali et al. (2019) reported whitish to light brown body coat colour in Purnathadi buffalo in Maharashtra. Vandre et al. (2022) revealed less pigmentation pattern in the buffalo from Mahakaushal region of MP.






       
In the present investigation, the horn shape in Melghati buffaloes was found to be predominantly curved (96.88%) with backward upward orientation (68.92%) as well as backward inward (30.20%). These results indicated that Melghati buffalo has differentiating horn orientation than neighbouring Purnathadi buffalo. Hamand et al. (2020) reported sword shape horns in Nagpuri buffaloes, while Ali et al. (2019) reported long and tapering horns with upward orientation at the end like hook in Purnathadi buffalo.
       
All buffaloes had bright and prominent eyes, forehead was broad between horns, slightly convex, face was markedly long and tapering towards the muzzle. The ear orientation of Melghati buffalo was predominantly horizontal and the majority of the animals had a slightly convex shape of forehead (62.5%), bowl-shaped udder (59.49%) with small to large size, cylindrical shaped teats with round tips. These findings of eyes, forehead and ear orientation are corresponded with the observations by Ali et al. (2019) in Purnathadi buffaloes and Dar et al. (2018) in buffalo of Kashmir valley. The presence of a visible milk vein was noted in 67.99% of the animals, indicating good milk-producing potential.
       
These findings suggest the Melghati buffalo possesses a uniquely consistent and complete black pigmentation across major morphological traits, except in the tail, distinguishing it from other regional buffalo breeds. These findings contribute to the detailed morphological characterisation of the Melghati buffalo and further distinguish it from other regional buffalo.
 
Body weight and morphometric characteristics
 
Adult Melghati buffaloes, comprising 21 males and 564 females, had 11 morphometric characteristics documented (Table 4). Body weight and all morphometric characteristics except horn length, ear length and hip bone distance were higher in males. Higher distance between hip bones in females might be since females have wider pelvic regions to facilitate parturition, a common physiological need.


       
The estimated adult body weights of males and females were recorded as 412.34±6.45 kg and 390.70±1.74 kg, respectively. The observations were in accordance of body weights in adult Nagpuri buffalo (Kataria et al., 2007) and lower than that of Marathwadi buffalo and Pandharpuri buffalo (Ahlawat et al., 2009). The horn length of adult male and female Melghati buffalo was comparable with results of Kataria et al., (2012) in Marathwadi buffalo, Vohra et al., (2017) in Chattisgarhi buffalo. However, higher horn length was reported by Mishra et al., (2007) in Pandharpuri buffalo, Kataria et al., (2007) in Nagpuri buffalo, Hamand et al., (2020) in Shahi Strain of Nagpuri Buffaloes and Ali et al., (2019) in Purnathadi buffalo and lower value was observed by Vohra et al., (2021) in the Gojri buffalo of North India.
       
Mean chest girth, body length and height at withers of adult Melghati buffalo were similar to Nagpuri buffalo as reported by Kataria et al., (2007) and Marathwadi buffalo by Kataria et al., (2012), except chest girth in Marathwadi buffalo. while higher chest girth, body length and height at withers were recorded by Hamand et al., (2020) in  Shahi  Strain of Nagpuri Buffaloes and Mishra et al., (2007) in Pandharpuri buffalo. However, the lower values have been reported by Vohra et al., (2017) in Chhattisgarhi buffalo. Ali et al., (2019) reported higher chest, paunch girth and lower body length, height at wither for Purnathadi buffalo. Melghati buffaloes had been medium in size compared to Murrah, Jafrabadi and NiliRavi varieties and their body weight and biometric characteristics appeared comparable to those of Nagpuri and Matrathwadi buffaloes.
       
Coefficient of variation (CV%) for HL, HB and PB was more than 10% in both sexes, indicating less consistency among the studied Melghati buffalo. It might be due to non-consideration of these traits in selection process or it might be due to a greater response by these traits to the environment. Other morphometric traits and body weight showed low CV, confirming the high homogeneity in studied buffalo population, indicating that Melghati buffaloes were almost uniform in their body size.
 
Productive and reproductive traits
 
In current research, daily milk yield of Melghati buffaloes has been reported to range from 2-7 kg, with a mean yield of 4.04±0.04 kg. The peak milk yield ranged from 3-10 kg, with an average of 5.42±0.06 kg (Table 5). The higher daily milk yield reported than present findings by Kataria et al., (2007) in Nagpuri buffalo; Mishra et al., (2007) in Pandharpuri buffalo, Ali et al., (2019) in Purnathadi buffalo and Chendge et al., (2022) in ND buffalo in Konkan region of Maharashtra. However, the findings of Kataria et al., (2012) were lower in Marathwadi buffalo than the present observation. Eventually, the peak milk yield was highest in Nagpuri and Purnathadi buffaloes than present findings and similar in Marathwadi buffalo by the aforementioned researchers. Present results were in agreement with Vohra et al., (2017) outcomes in Chhattisgarhi buffaloes. The lactation milk yield (LMY) and lactation length (LL) in Melghati buffalo were recorded as 1065.23±10.77 kg and 255.06±1.68 days. These findings were in close agreement with Nagpuri buffalo (Kataria et al., 2007); however, the higher estimates were reported by Mishra et al., (2007) in Pandharpuri buffalo, Kataria et al., (2012) in Marathwadi buffalo, Meena et al., (2015) in buffalo of Uttar Pradesh and Kale et al., (2018) in buffalo of Maharashtra. The lower estimates of LMY and LL were reported by Kuralkar et al., (2019) in Purnathadi buffalo.  In the present investigation, the average Fat % and SNF % were 6.76±0.08 and 9.03±0.03 in Melghati buffalo. The Fat and SNF content in Melghati buffalo impart quality, richness and characteristic dense texture and flavour to khoa, which adds value to the price of its milk in local market.


       
The reproductive traits viz. age at first oestrus (AFE), oestrous cycle (OC), oestrous duration (OD), age at first calving (AFC), service period (SP) and calving interval (CI) are summarized in Table 5. Similar estimates for AFM, AFC and CI were observed in Nagpuri buffalo (Kataria et al., 2007), although, Mishra et al., (2007) and Kataria et al., (2012) reported lower estimates in Pandharpuri and Marathwadi buffalo, respectively.
               
The range in all production and reproduction traits in Melghati buffaloes, showed sufficient variability, which indicates scope for its further genetic improvement. Also, the Melghati buffalo in hilly region reared by local tribes with minimal inputs and yielding quality milk were exhibited promising features as regional identity and livelihood support. 

It can be concluded from the present study that the phenotypic, morphometric, production and reproduction characterization of Melghati buffalo of hilly Melghat region of Maharashtra has indicated its distinctness. Melghati buffaloes are well versed with local climate and are kept by tribal farmers, which is not only valuable germplasm for their livelihoods and nutritional security but also an important part of socio-cultural heritage of tribal communities of Melghat, hence suggested its recognition as a separate breed. Such recognition would facilitate targeted conservation and scientific breeding programs, ensuring the sustainable preservation and genetic improvement of this valuable indigenous buffalo resource.

Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.