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Objective: The study aims to identify the most reliable fertility indicators, contributing to the development of more precise and effective evaluation protocols for Murrah buffalo breeding programs. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed 120 cryopreserved semen samples from four Murrah buffaloes. Each sample underwent quality evaluation, and sperm kinematics were analyzed using computer-assisted semen analysis. Analysis of variance was used to compare sperm quality between different bull IDs. Pearson\\'s correlation was used to measure the correlation between each parameter. Result: The statistical analysis indicated that the motility of sperm from bull M001 was markedly reduced (p < 0.05) relative to bull M003. Likewise, the viability of sperm in M001 was significantly diminished (p < 0.05) compared to other bulls. The mitochondrial membrane potential in sperm from M004 was significantly elevated (p < 0.05) over that of M003. Furthermore, membrane integrity in M004 sperm showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) compared to M001. Kinematic measurements for buffalo M003 exhibited significantly greater (p < 0.05) values than those of M002. A strong inverse correlation (r = – 0.972) was identified between sperm quality and kinematic variables through statistical analysis, particularly involving linearity and DNA fragmentation, with significance confirmed at p < 0.05. Conclusion: The sperm quality of Murrah buffalo differs among the four buffaloes examined, particularly regarding sperm motility, viability, and energy potential. Among kinematic parameters, only average path velocity showed significant variation. The study also revealed a relationship between sperm with more linear movement and better DNA integrity.

Reproductive efficiency in terms of fertility, Prolificacy and survival rate are considered the major components of overall efficiency in sheep productivity. While fertility of Awassi ewes is moderate to high depending on feeding and management practices, however, litter size is low and Awassi is not considered a prolific breed. Heritability estimates of these traits are rather low, and reflect small genetic variation in these traits. The possible avenues for increasing reproductive capacity environmentally and genetically are discussed in the text of this review article.

This study evaluated the influence of the quantitative traits measured by real-time ultrasound (adjusted longissimus muscle area [AdjLMA], adjusted rump fat thickness [AdjRFT], and adjusted marbling [AdjMAR]) as well as age at first breeding [AFB] and adjusted weight [AdjWeight], on the probability of occurrence of early pregnancy (EP) in 55 Nellore heifers, and also performed an economic analysis. All calves received supplementation in creep-feeding (ad libitum), and at weaning (average age= 210 ± 30 days; average weight= 241 ± 33 kg) until first breeding by artificial insemination (May to November) all heifers were managed in the same group (two paddocks of 25 ha each evenly covered with Urochloa Marandu Grass) and received protein-energy supplementation (1% of average BW per animal/day). The quantitative variables were collected immediately after timed artificial insemination (average age= 392 ± 27 days; average weight= 431.90 kg), and the pregnancy diagnosis was completed at 30 days following insemination. For economic analysis, two systems were compared (age at first breeding at 13 and 24 months). The greater adjusted weight on the first breeding increased the probability of occurrence of early pregnancy, while the greater adjusted longissimus muscle area reduced. In addition, intensive meat production systems provide greater economic return throughout cow-calf operation.

A novel analytical approach to classify breeding systems in Angiosperms combining statistical and conceptual criteria is proposed, which will allow to describe and compare available mating system data in an unified form. Four breeding system indexes (BSI) were combined: Index of Agamospermy, Index of Spontaneous Self-Pollination (ISSP), Index of Self-Fertility (ISF), and Index of Self-incompatibility. Their values, ranging from 0 to ∞, were analyzed using t tests to discriminate experimental breeding index values from 0 and 1.0. For each index, five discrete categories were described. The composite of the four BSI assigned to a species represents an integrated characterization of its reproductive system. A magnitude measure (M) describes the strength of each BSI assigned to a species. Indexes of inbreeding and outbreeding depression were also examined for each species. Published data from 1908 taxa were used to determine composite breeding systems. Frequencies of breeding index categories across the four BSI for the entire data set were determined. Non-spontaneous self-pollinating and xenogamous species were the most frequent categories observed for ISSP and ISF indexes, respectively. The largest group of species examined was partially self-incompatible. Actual number of composite breeding systems inferred based on our analysis represents a small fraction (8.9 %) of all mathematically possible ones. Similarly, the observed combinations between results obtained from the four pollination tests and estimates of natural reproductive efficiency were only 22.1 % of all mathematically possible combinations. Within Angiosperms, there is a marked trend toward evolution of partial self-incompatibility with significant inbreeding depression.

Reproductive efficiency is closely tied to the profitability of dairy herds, and therefore successful dairy operations seek to achieve high 21-day pregnancy rates in order to reduce the calving interval and days in milk of the herd. There are various factors that impact reproductive performance, including the specific reproductive management program, body condition score loss and nutritional management, genetics of the cows, and the cow comfort provided by the facilities and management programs. To achieve high 21-day pregnancy rates, the service rate and pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) should be increased. Currently, there are adjustments in timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocols and use of presynchronization programs that can increase P/AI, even to the point that fertility is higher with some TAI programs as compared with AI after standing estrus. Implementation of a systematic reproductive management program that utilizes efficient TAI programs with optimized management strategies can produce high reproductive indexes combined with healthy cows having high milk production termed “the high fertility cycle”. The scientific results that underlie these concepts are presented in this manuscript along with how these ideas can be practically implemented to improve reproductive efficiency on commercial dairy operations.

This review attempted to collate and synthesize information on goat welfare and production constraints during heat stress exposure. Among the farm animals, goats arguably are considered the best-suited animals to survive in tropical climates. Heat stress was found to negatively influence growth, milk and meat production and compromised the immune response, thereby significantly reducing goats’ welfare under extensive conditions and transportation. Although considered extremely adapted to tropical climates, their production can be compromised to cope with heat stress. Therefore, information on goat adaptation and production performance during heat exposure could help assess their welfare. Such information would be valuable as the farming communities are often struggling in their efforts to assess animal welfare, especially in tropical regions. Broadly three aspects must be considered to ensure appropriate welfare in goats, and these include (i) housing and environment; (ii) breeding and genetics and (iii) handling and transport. Apart from these, there are a few other negative welfare factors in goat rearing, which differ across the production system being followed. Such negative practices are predominant in extensive systems and include nutritional stress, limited supply of good quality water, climatic extremes, parasitic infestation and lameness, culminating in low production, reproduction and high mortality rates. Broadly two types of methodologies are available to assess welfare in goats in these systems: (i) animal-based measures include behavioral measurements, health and production records and disease symptoms; (ii) resources based and management-based measures include stocking density, manpower, housing conditions and health plans. Goat welfare could be assessed based on several indicators covering behavioral, physical, physiological and productive responses. The important indicators of goat welfare include agonistic behavior, vocalization, skin temperature, body condition score (BCS), hair coat conditions, rectal temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, sweating, reduced growth, reduced milk production and reduced reproductive efficiency. There are also different approaches available by which the welfare of goats could be assessed, such as naturalistic, functional and subjective approaches. Thus, assessing welfare in goats at every production stage is a prerequisite for ensuring appropriate production in this all-important species to guarantee optimum returns to the marginal and subsistence farmers.

Researchers have contributed by increasing our understanding of the factors affecting reproduction in beef, mainly physical health and nutrition aspects, which have been main concerns during decades. Animal welfare is of outmost relevance in all animal production systems and it is strongly associated to stress. Stress responses involve endocrine, paracrine and neural systems and the consequences of this stress on the reproductive efficiency of specifically, beef cattle and bulls, need to be highlighted. We, therefore, describe the fundamentals of stress and its quantification, focusing in beef herds, reviewing the highly valuable pieces of research, already implemented in this field. We examine major factors (stressors) contributing to stress in beef cattle and their effects on the animals, their reproductive performance and the success of reproductive biotechnologies. We include terms such as acclimatization, acclimation or temperament, very relevant in beef systems. We examine specifically the management stress due to handling, social environment and hierarchy or weaning effects; nutritional stress; and thermal stress (not only heat stress) and also review the influence of these stressors on reproductive performance and effectiveness of reproductive biotechnologies in beef herds. A final message on the attention that should be devoted to these factors is highlighted.

Pollution due to microplastics and nanoplastics is one of the major environmental issues of the last decade and represents a growing threat to human and animal health. In aquatic species, there is a large amount of information regarding the perturbation of marine organisms; instead, there are only a few studies focusing on the pathophysiological consequences of an acute and chronic exposure to micro- and nanoplastics in mammalian systems, especially on the reproductive system. There are several studies that have described the damage caused by plastic particles, including oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory response, dysregulation of the endocrine system and accumulation in various organs. In addition to this, microplastics have recently been found to influence the evolution of microbial communities and increase the gene exchange, including antibiotic and metal resistance genes. Special attention must be paid to farm animals, because they produce food such as milk, eggs and meat, with the consequent risk of biological amplification along the food chain. The results of several studies indicate that there is an accumulation of microplastics and nanoplastics in human and animal tissues, with several negative effects, but all the effects in the body have not been ascertained, especially considering the long-term consequences. This review provides an overview of the possible adverse effects of the exposure of livestock to micro- and nanoplastics and assesses the potential risks for the disruption of reproductive physiological functions.

Solitary, dioecious, and mostly endemic to Andean cloud forests, wax palms (Ceroxylon Bonpl. ex DC. spp.) are currently under worrisome conservation status. The establishment of management plans for their dwindling populations rely on detailed biological data, including their reproductive ecology. As in the case of numerous other Neotropical palm taxa, small beetles are assumed to be selective pollinators of wax palms, but their identity and relevance in successful fruit yield were unknown. During three consecutive reproductive seasons we collected data on population phenology and reproductive and floral biology of three syntopic species of wax palms native to the Colombian Andes. We also determined the composition of the associated flower-visiting entomofauna, quantifying the extent of the role of individual species as effective pollinators through standardized value indexes that take into consideration abundance, constancy, and pollen transport efficiency. The studied populations of C. parvifrons (Engel) H. Wendl., C. ventricosum Burret, and C. vogelianum (Engel) H. Wendl. exhibit seasonal reproductive cycles with marked temporal patterns of flower and fruit production. The composition of the associated flower-visiting entomofauna, comprised by ca. 50 morphotypes, was constant across flowering seasons and differed only marginally among species. Nonetheless, a fraction of the insect species associated with pistillate inflorescences actually carried pollen, and calculated pollinator importance indexes demonstrated that one insect species alone, Mystrops rotundula Sharp, accounted for 94%–99% of the effective pollination services for all three species of wax palms. The sequential asynchronous flowering of C. parvifrons, C. ventricosum, and C. vogelianum provides an abundant and constant supply of pollen, pivotal for the maintenance of large populations of their shared pollinators, a cooperative strategy proven effective by high fruit yield rates (up to 79%). Reproductive success might be compromised for all species by the population decline of one of them, as it would tamper with the temporal orchestration of pollen offer.

This review aimed to bring a comprehensive analysis of key clinical strategies for enhancing reproductive efficiency in buffaloes, a species that exhibit low reproductive performance under conventional reproductive management compared to that exhibited by cattle. It considers key ART techniques including estrus synchronization for artificial insemination, and ovulation induction, highlighting their role in improving fertility and overall herd productivity. However, it also addresses common postpartum inflammatory and functional reproductive disorders, discussing their diagnosis and treatment protocols, stressing their impact on the overall reproductive outcome in buffalo farming.