Perspectives in cattle reproduction for the next 20 years – A European context

Abstract

Following a significant increase in herd and farm sizes after the removal of milk quotas in Europe, the past 10 years have seen a slight yet steady decline in the population of cattle. This includes a reduction of approximately 5 % in dairy and beef cattle. This trend is driven by various factors, such as changing market demands, economic shifts, and sustainability challenges in the livestock sector. Despite this, technological advancements in reproductive management have continued to enhance efficiency and sustainability, particularly in dairy production. The main areas of rapid development, which will continue to grow for improving fertility and management, include: i) genetic selection (including improved phenotypes for use in breeding programs), ii) nutritional management (including transition cow management), iii) control of infectious disease, iv) rapid diagnostics of reproductive health, v) development of more efficient ovulation/estrous synchronization protocols, vi) assisted reproductive management (and automated systems to improve reproductive management), vii) increased implementation of sexed semen and embryo transfer, viii) more efficient handling of substantial volumes of data, ix) routine implementation of artificial intelligence technology for rapid decision-making at the farm level, x) climate change and sustainable cattle production awareness, xi) new (reproductive) strategies to improve cattle welfare, and xii) improved management and technology implementation for male fertility. This review addresses the current status and future outlook of key factors that influence cattle herd health and reproductive performance, with a special focus on dairy cattle. These insights are expected to contribute to improved performance, health, and fertility of ruminants in the next 20 years.