D airy sector in India is contributing 4 per cent of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 26 per cent of the agricultural GDP (NAS, 2012) and playing a crucial role in livelihood activity for the farmers. Milk is generally composed of 87 per cent water and 13 per cent total solids and milk composition is economically important to milk producers, processors and consumers by contributing to the health, nutrition and earnings of the household (Wangdi et al., 2016). The variation in the milk composition of crossbred cows in different seasons is a universal phenomenon and is caused by variation in the breeding cycle of the animal, the environmental factors like temperature, humidity and the quantity and quality of feed and fodders supplied to the animals (Abraham and Gayathri, 2015). Hence, an attempt has been made to investigate the variation in the fat, SNF and total solids in milk of crossbred cows reared in the southern part of Tamil Nadu during different seasons. MAterIAl AnD MetHoDs Tamil Nadu located in southernmost part of India, has an area of 130,058 km 2. It extends North latitude between 8° 5' to 13° 35' and East longitude between 76° 15' to 80° 20'. The climate of the Tamil Nadu ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid with an ambient temperature of 24-34°C, relative humidity of 70% and an annual rainfall is about 945 mm. Tamil Nadu is mostly dependent on monsoon rains and thereby is prone to droughts when the monsoon failed. It is divided into seven agro-climatic zones such as northeast , northwest , west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly and Kauveri delta zone. short communication Abstract | The study was designed to evaluate the seasonal influences on crossbred cow milk composition in an organized cattle farm, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India. One hundred (n=100) samples from each season were collected from a herd of Holstein Friesian crossbred cows during summer (March-May), rainy (June-September), autumn (October-November) and winter (December-February) and analyzed for fat, solids not fat (SNF) and total solids. Overall mean for fat, SNF and total solids of milk were 3.74, 8.258 and 11.998 per cent respectively. Fat and SNF content significantly (P<0.01) differed among seasons and highest in winter (3.819% and 8.348%) followed by autumn (3.771% and 8.282%), summer (3.739% and 8.246%) and lowest in rainy season (3.631% and 8.158%). The seasonal variation in this part of the southern region of Tamil Nadu influences the fat, SNF and total solids content of crossbred cow milk.
