Research on timed AI in beef cattle: Past, present and future, a 27-year perspective

This review aimed to (1) summarize the results from fixed-timed artificial insemination (TAI) fertility studies performed during the last 27 years; (2) compile and evaluate, as examples from the literature base, the direct comparisons made of specific manipulations to synchronization protocols; (3) evaluate the impact of the TAI programs on the reproductive performance during the breeding season, and (4) provide perspective on the future of TAI programs in beef cattle. A search of the literature published from 1995 to 2021 was conducted to identify experiments in which synchronization of ovulation and TAI in beef cattle was performed. The primary outcome of interest was fertility expressed as pregnancies per TAI. The literature included two search engines, the SIS Web of Science and the US National Library of Medicine Institutes of Health through PubMed. After the initial search and screening, a total of 228 manuscripts were selected containing a total of 272,668 TAI. A dramatic increase in the number of publications and TAIs occurred throughout the years. Most of them were from Brazil and United States, followed by Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, and Australia. Two main types of TAI programs were identified: GnRH-based and E2/P4-based protocols. In terms of GnRH-based programs, two variations were evaluated in the present manuscript. First, we evaluated the effect of the progesterone implant during the protocol. The progesterone implant increased pregnancy/TAI (P/TAI) from 44.3 to 54.3%. Second, the use of a second prostaglandin F2α treatment in 5-d CO-synch program increased the P/TAI from 53.2 to 60.9%. In E2/P4-based programs, use of GnRH at TAI increased P/TAI from 54.7 to 59.2% in cows. However, no increase was detected in heifers. Other research showed that use of TAI can increase the overall proportion of the cows pregnant at end of the breeding season and produce earlier calvings compared with bulls. In conclusion, there have been a large number of excellent research studies that have been performed during the last 27 years on TAI in beef cattle. This technology is being utilized successfully in the beef cattle industry. This success is largely because of the valid research that underlies the application of the technology and the economic value of the technology.