The aim of the review is to show the major scientific advances achieved in the animal reproduction area and how they can affect the productive and reproductive performance of cattle in Brazil. The knowledge about the mechanisms involved in the reproductive physiology control, in endocrine, cellular and molecular level allowed the development of reproductive biotechnologies. Among these the TAI has been used in large scale, with some advantages such as the multiplication of genetically superior animals, increasing on birth rate […]

This paper reviews the technical bases of in vitro embryo production in small ruminants with special attention to the results obtained by our group in Northeastern Brazil. The laparoscopic oocyte recovery in hormonally treated live animals indicates a promising future for the application of this technique to genetic improvement program. New molecular biology tools should provide information to improve the efficiency of in vitro maturation. Furthers efforts have to be made to improve the oocyte maturation and to standardize the […]

The knowledge of the importance of nutrition on animal reproduction is well known for producers and researchers for a long time. However, contemporary studies have brought new perspectives and further details of this relationship, allowing fine-tuning of diets handling in order to increase production and reproduction in ruminants. Nevertheless, especially in high-producing dairy cows, there are still serious multifactorial fertility problems, with a heavy nutritional involvement. In contrast, addition of certain ingredients to the diet, such as fat rich in […]

Reproductive capacity is controlled by a large number of factors such as season, social interactions and metabolic status. However, the influence of emotional reactivity on reproductive success has not been intensively investigated in farm animals. In this review, we define emotion reactivity and the expression of its inter individual variability named temperament. We briefly describe our protocol to measure temperament in sheep and discuss the heritability of temperament traits. Using the results obtained from our flock of sheep selected for […]

Fertility of dairy cattle is generally decreasing. Overall estrus detection efficiency in lactating dairy cattle is low, as expression of estrus is often compromised. Consequently, undetected estrus, low AI-submission rates, and long inter-breeding intervals are the main contributors to poor reproductive efficiency. Although failure to become pregnant is the most common reason for culling dairy cattle, pregnancy rates could be improved by increasing the AI-submission rate through increased estrus detection efficiency, timed insemination (Timed-AI), or timed embryo transfer (Timed-ET). In […]