Improvement in production performance of indigenous cattle breeds becomes essential to make them economically viable. Due to increased environmental temperature cattle undergo heat stress. Milk production is adversely affected due to heat stress. In the present study records maintained at Cattle Cross Breeding Project, Vasantrao Naik Marathawada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani (Maharashtra) for the period of 1995-2010 were utilized to study monthly lactation milk yields and climatic factors. The climatic parameters considered were temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, sunshine hours and dry and wet bulb temperature along with THI. The data on monthly lactation milk yields of cows calved during cold, hot, south-west monsoon and post monsoon seasons were considered. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to investigate various sources of variation in monthly lactation milk yields. Monthly lactation milk yield data were analyzed to ascertain the effect of climatic attributes and to know their association with monthly lactation milk yields. The higher milk production during post monsoon was attributed to cows calved during that season whose milk production was favoured by post monsoon climate. Seasonal climate may be the responsible factor to influence the milk production levels. The average monthly milk production (359.18+25.85 liter) was more during post monsoon season followed by cold (326.81+20.48 liter), south-west monsoon seasons (326.60 +20.45 liter) and hot (245.78+19.13 liter), respectively.

<italic>Kheer</italic> is sweetened dish of rice cooked in milk first finds mention as ‘<italic>Payas</italic>’. Sweet potato <italic>kheer</italic> was prepared from different levels of sweet potato paste <italic>viz</italic>. 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 per cent on the basis of buffalo milk. Control <italic>kheer</italic> was prepared using 2.5 per cent rice in buffalo milk. The parameters considered for the present study were pH, viscosity, moisture, fat, protein, total solids and ash. The result showed that control <italic>kheer</italic> was significantly superior over <italic>kheer</italic> prepared from 2.5% sweet potato. PH was decreasing as the level of sweet potato paste increases. On the contrary as the level of sweet potato increased the viscosity also increased significantly. The moisture content of sweet potato <italic>kheer</italic> decreased as the level of sweet potato increased. As fat was concerned as the level of sweet potato increaseed the fat decreased with non significant effect. Similarly slight protein was also increased. However carbohydrate, total solids and ash content of <italic>kheer</italic> increased as the level of sweet potato increased with non-significant effect. The total solid, carbohydrate and ash content of sweet potato <italic>kheer</italic> increases whereas moisture and fat decreased as the level sweet potato increased. This might be due to higher carbohydrate and lower moisture content in sweet potato as compared to milk.

In the present investigation the sixteen years data (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) on daily peak milk yield of cows calved during cold, hot, south-west monsoon and post monsoon season each for twelve month in year and climatic attributes like temperature (maximum and minimum), humidity (maximum and minimum), sunshine hours and temperature humidity Index during corresponding period were collected. Daily peak milk yield data were analyzed statistically to see the effect of climatic attributes and to know their association with peak milk yield. Generally post monsoon climatic condition favours the milk production in animals due to pleasant climate and availability of quality fodder. The average daily peak milk yield of Deoni cows was 2.60 kg. It could be inferred that apart from availability of quality nutritious fodder during different seasons, maximum peak milk yield was recorded during post monsoon season followed by south-west monsoon season, cold season and hot season respectively.

The data on weekly test day milk yield of 411 HF x Deoni crossbred having 838 weekly test day milk yield were collected from records maintained at Cattle Cross Breeding Project, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani (Maharashtra) over a period of 38 years (1977 to 2014). The least squares mean of weekly test day milk yield were estimated by considering effect of period of calving, season of calving and age at first calving group. The overall mean weekly test day milk yield varied from 1.35 ± 0.08 kg to 7.52 ± 0.08 kg recorded during 43rd and 6th week, respectively. The period of calving exerted significant (P less tahn 0.01) influence on all 43 weekly test day milk yield. The season of calving had significant (P less than 0.05) influence on WTDY5 to WTDY9, WTDY11 to WTDY13 and WTDY42 and WTDY43. However, non-significant effect observed in WTDY1 to WTDY4, WTDY10 and WTDY14 to WTDY41. The variation due to age at first calving group was significant (P less than 0.01) in WTDY3 to WTDY5 and, non-significant in rest of the weekly test day milk yield.

In the present study pedigree records maintained at Cattle Cross Breeding Project, VNMKV, Parbhani (Maharashtra) for the period of 1995-2010 were utilized to study correlation of lactation length and climatic factors. The climatic parameters considered were temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, sunshine hours and dry and wet bulb temperature along with THI. The data on monthly lactation length of cows calved during cold, hot, south-west monsoon and post monsoon seasons were considered. Correlation and multiple regression analysis was used to investigate various sources of variation in monthly lactation length. Monthly lactation length data were analyzed to ascertain the effect of climatic attributes and to know their association with lactation lengths. The average monthly lactation length was recorded as 220.21 + 6.75 days in Deoni cattle. It can be inferred that maximum lactation length was recorded during post monsoon season (240.94 + 11.26 days) followed by south-west monsoon season (222.28 + 9.00 days), cold season (218.67 + 8.25 days) and hot season (198.95 + 10.71 days), respectively.