J. Lannett Edwards
Specialization: Animal Scientist: Reproductive Physiology/Embryology
Reproductive failure weighs heavily on the minds of producers. Estimated percentage of females failing to become pregnant after a single insemination ranges from 35 to 40% in beef and may be as high as 50 to 70+% in dairy cattle. Failures of this magnitude are not sustainable. Estimated cost to the US cattle industry reported in 2002 was ~$1 billion annually (beef and dairy); in 2018, associated costs approached $4.7 billion annually. While estrus constitutes a “short” time with nondisputed importance for reproduction, little progress has been made towards appreciating a functional role of High Estrus Associated Temperatures (HEAT) to maximize pregnancy outcomes. Until this information is known, the significant impact of reproductive failure occurring during this time period cannot be fixed. Although HEAT is largely a by-product of increased walking activity of sexually active females my laboratory has generated new knowledge over the past several years that provide compelling support for HEAT around the time of when the cow is to be bred to directly promote critical changes in ovulatory follicle components, especially the cumulus-oocyte complex. Depending on the extent to which HEAT is functionally important to maximize pregnancy outcomes in cattle, inexpensive approaches to improving fertility may be possible. Obtaining answers to this interesting question, which is the focus of current and future research studies, could lead to significant gains in the management of reproduction to improve pregnancy rates when using artificial insemination.
1750 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920-4574
- Doctorate, Animal Sciences, General, University of Florida, 1996
J. Lannett Edwards
1750 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920-4574
- Doctorate, Animal Sciences, General, University of Florida, 1996
Reproductive failure weighs heavily on the minds of producers. Estimated percentage of females failing to become pregnant after a single insemination ranges from 35 to 40% in beef and may be as high as 50 to 70+% in dairy cattle. Failures of this magnitude are not sustainable. Estimated cost to the US cattle industry reported in 2002 was ~$1 billion annually (beef and dairy); in 2018, associated costs approached $4.7 billion annually. While estrus constitutes a “short” time with nondisputed importance for reproduction, little progress has been made towards appreciating a functional role of High Estrus Associated Temperatures (HEAT) to maximize pregnancy outcomes. Until this information is known, the significant impact of reproductive failure occurring during this time period cannot be fixed. Although HEAT is largely a by-product of increased walking activity of sexually active females my laboratory has generated new knowledge over the past several years that provide compelling support for HEAT around the time of when the cow is to be bred to directly promote critical changes in ovulatory follicle components, especially the cumulus-oocyte complex. Depending on the extent to which HEAT is functionally important to maximize pregnancy outcomes in cattle, inexpensive approaches to improving fertility may be possible. Obtaining answers to this interesting question, which is the focus of current and future research studies, could lead to significant gains in the management of reproduction to improve pregnancy rates when using artificial insemination.