Climate change and declining reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle: Global trends and adaptive solutions
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Published on: August 8, 2017
K Sunny Praveen1, N R Srikanth1, H S Shwetha2
1Livestock Research Station, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522034, India.
Abstract:
Climate change is progressively limiting reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle, which has significant consequences for productivity, profitability and global food security. Increasing ambient temperatures, increased temperature-humidity index (THI), recurrent heat waves and climatic variability interfere with reproduction via interconnected endocrine, metabolic and cellular pathways. Heat stress affects the activity of the HPA and HPG axes, leading to increased cortisol levels, altered gonadotropin secretion, disruption of follicular dynamics and compromised luteal progesterone support. At the cellular and molecular levels, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, heat shock protein responses and genomic-epigenetic alterations diminish oocyte competence, compromise sperm integrity and hinder early embryonic development, often resulting in embryonic loss and pregnancy failure. While Bos indicus and other climate-adapted genotypes show improved thermotolerance, there remains significant variability among individuals regarding reproductive resilience. This review combines global and regional evidence to clarify the mechanisms behind climate-induced reproductive decline and assesses adaptive strategies such as heat-abatement management, nutritional interventions, timed artificial insemination (TAI), assisted reproductive technologies, genetic selection for heat tolerance and precision monitoring. These insights collectively offer a framework for maintaining dairy reproductive performance considering future climate scenarios.
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