Reproduction of Ruminant Livestock

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 7190

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Italian National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via delle Calabrie, 84135 Salerno, Italy
Interests: buffalo (Bubalus bubalis); animal welfare; ruminant reproduction; biosecurity; metabolism in transition period; reproductive
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
Interests: mammalian reproduction; embryo development; stem cell; IVEP

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, UFLA, Lavras, MG, Brazil Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
Interests: reproduction; TAI protocol; bovine; synchronisation of ovulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive performance represents a crucial step in the field of ruminant livestock. Reproductive efficiency improvement has direct and indirect impacts on the economic and environmental sustainability of dairy, meat, and working farms. The new research tools available to the field can help to make significant improvements in basic and applied research.

At present, the reproductive management of the herd is increasingly linked to ethical aspects and health management. Biotechnologies of reproduction and precision breeding associated with the new discoveries related to omics sciences can positively affect the results in this area of interest, determining important changes in farm ruminant sustainability.

We invite you to share your research relating to the current status and future outlook of areas that contribute to a deeper knowledge on reproductive medicine and management in ruminant livestock.

All types of articles, such as original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Domenico Vecchio
Dr. Marcello Rubessa
Dr. José Nélio de Sousa Sales
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biotechnology
  • oocytes
  • oviduct
  • embryo maternal cross talking
  • embryos
  • sperm
  • fertility
  • pregnancy
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • ovarian cycles
  • synchronization protocols
  • oestrus detection
  • metabolic stress
  • postpartum diseases
  • reproductive management
  • next-generation sequencing
  • precision farming
  • omics technologies

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2802 KiB  
Article
N-Carbamylglutamate Promotes Follicular Development by Modulating Cholesterol Metabolism in Yak Ovaries
by Jia Zhou, Jingjing Du, Shuangming Yue, Benchu Xue, Lizhi Wang, Quanhui Peng and Bai Xue
Agriculture 2021, 11(9), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090825 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2373
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on the follicular development of yaks to identify potential mechanisms essential for fertility in yaks. Twelve multiparous anoestrous female yaks were randomly assigned to two groups—Control (fed with a basal diet, n [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on the follicular development of yaks to identify potential mechanisms essential for fertility in yaks. Twelve multiparous anoestrous female yaks were randomly assigned to two groups—Control (fed with a basal diet, n = 6) and NCG (basal diet supplemented with 6.0 g day−1 NCG, n = 6). Yaks in the NCG group had higher numbers of large follicles (>5 mm in diameter) than those in the Control group. An RNA-sequencing analysis of yak ovaries revealed a total of 765 genes were differentially expressed between experimental groups, of which 181 genes were upregulated and 584 genes were downregulated following NCG supplementation. The results of a transcriptome functional analysis, qRT-PCR validation, and immunohistochemistry revealed that NCG supplementation increased angiogenesis and de novo synthesis of cholesterol in yak ovaries. NCG was also found to upregulate the gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Based on this, it was concluded that NCG supplementation promotes the follicular development of yaks mainly by affecting cholesterol metabolism to initiate steroidogenesis in ovaries. The results provide evidence for understanding the mechanisms responsible for NCG promoting follicular development of female yaks, which may contribute to the development and application of NCG in animal reproduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproduction of Ruminant Livestock)
Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1038 KiB  
Article
Effect of Body Weight and Growth in Early Life on the Reproductive Performances of Holstein Heifers
by Angela Costa, Carlo Boselli and Massimo De Marchi
Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020159 - 16 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3085
Abstract
In Italy most dairy cows produce milk for cheese manufacture and are farmed in intensive systems, with free stall barns, milking parlor or robotic milking, total mixed ration and no (or limited) access to pasture. The main objective for farmers is to maximize [...] Read more.
In Italy most dairy cows produce milk for cheese manufacture and are farmed in intensive systems, with free stall barns, milking parlor or robotic milking, total mixed ration and no (or limited) access to pasture. The main objective for farmers is to maximize farm income and minimize farm costs by adopting strategies and ‘best practices’ in the early life of heifers. Monitoring body weight (BW) and fertility of young stock is fundamental to ensure good performances in future dairy cows and to enhance farm profit. In this study BW (kg) and average daily gain (ADG, kg/d) recorded at different stages in early life of 382 Holstein calves were used to estimate associations with fertility traits. Data consisted of BW at birth (BW0), three BWs (BW1, BW2, and BW3) recorded in three phases of calf’s early life, ADG in the three phases (ADGI, ADGII, and ADGIII), ADG of the entire period (ADGI-III), number of services per pregnancy (NS), and age at first calving (AFC). As expected, the four BWs were positively correlated to each. In general, heavier calves were characterized by better fertility compared to lighter calves. Monitoring BW and ADG in replacement heifers starting from the early age is recommended to improve NS and AFC at farm level and could be useful to set up genetic improvement programs. Future studies will benefit from the addition of milk-related traits and the increase of sample size (number of farms). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproduction of Ruminant Livestock)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop