Overview

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Reproductive efficiency is the major factor that affects profitability in many livestock production systems. For example, the fertility of domestic ruminants (cattle and sheep), even under optimal conditions, is only about 50 percent. Inefficient reproduction may be caused by numerous factors, including: 1) increased genetic selection for meat or milk production traits, 2) early embryonic and fetal loss, 3) failure to reach puberty at an optimum age or an inability of young females to conceive early in the breeding season, 4) environmental stressors such as temperature extremes or changes in photoperiod (day and night cycle), 5) production of sperm with a low potential for fertilization, or 6) limited sex drive. The ability of livestock to reproduce efficiently affects the economic livelihood of producers and can ultimately affect the consumer cost of meat and other animal products. CSREES provides national leadership and funding opportunities to conduct basic and applied research to control reproductive efficiency, educate future livestock and poultry producers and professionals, and transfer research-based management practices to livestock and poultry producers through extension and outreach efforts.

In Focus

• The impact of CSREES animal reproduction efforts are demonstrated by over two dozen selected projects.
• CSREES funds assisted reproductive technologies research on artificial insemination, gamete cryopreservation, embryo transfer, and more.
• CSREES-supported research on reproduction in female animals includes systems, cellular, and molecular studies to control fertility in breeding populations.
• CSREES-supported research on reproduction in male animals includes systems, cellular, and molecular studies to enhance fertility of genetically superior males.
• CSREES funds basic and applied research on synchronization of reproduction cycles as a tool to facilitate artificial insemination and maximize conception.

Partnerships

• CSREES provides oversight for multistate research to prevent duplication of efforts and to capitalize on collaboration among institutions and scientists.

Events

• Competitive Grants Grantsmanship Workshops, Washington, DC/Salt Lake City, UT, September/October, 2008.
• Galaxy III Conference: "Celebrating the Extension System: Strengths, Diversity, and Unique Qualities," Indianapolis, IN, September 15-19, 2008.
• Sixth International Congress on Farm Animal Endocrinology, Roanoke, VA, November 14-16, 2008.


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Selected Results and Impacts

• New research, funded by CSREES, shows that a modified diet may increase swine birthrate.
• The impact of CSREES animal reproduction efforts are demonstrated by over two dozen selected projects.
• Using CSREES funds, University of Missouri researchers have created more than 42,000 expressed sequence tags that are now available to the public


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Resources

• The Virtual Dairy Cattle Encyclopedia of Reproduction, Michigan State University. Web-based information source on dairy cattle reproductive physiology.
• Funding Priorities in Animal Reproduction at the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Society for the Study of Reproduction.
• "The Virtual Chicken: Part I, The Female Reproductive Tract," Auburn University. A CD/DVD format teaching tool about a female chicken's reproductive system.


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Contacts

Debora Hamernik

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