Frontiers in sheep reproduction - making use of natural responses to environmental challenges to manage productivity

Abstract

How to cite: Martin GB. Frontiers in sheep reproduction -making use of natural responses to environmental challenges to manage productivity.

Perspective: science and the future of livestock industries

“…Rather than offer an impossible list, I will confine my suggestions to research in reproduction: (i) Olfactory memory in the context of both the male effect and mother-young bonding; (ii) DoHaD and epigenetics, perhaps the ‘hottest’ current topic in reproductive biology; (iii) Embryo mortality, traditionally a very difficult research topic but now vulnerable to new tools for quantifying and investigating the problem; (iv) Postnatal survival, often dismissed as a problem confined to multiple births, but multiple births will be essential in future production systems, so it is time to take on the challenge ( 49 ). Importantly, the 100% CGE model ( 16 ) is not going to be applicable to all industries in all geographical or socio-economic environments, but individual aspects of the model can be introduced in a planned process ( 50 , 51 ) that needs to be supported by local applied research.…”

“…Recently, 20 years of discoveries in reproductive biology were accommodated in an update ( 16 ). In brief: the foundation of CGE management is understanding how the reproductive system responds to environmental factors, so those factors can be manipulated to improve reproductive outcomes.…”

“…For postnatal life, it has become clear that puberty can be advanced by accelerating the accumulation of muscle as well as fat, a major advantage for meat production systems. With respect to pheromones (‘male effect’), we now better understand the brain responses (the kisspeptin system again) but, most importantly, we have learned that the response of ewes to the ram signal involves cell division in memory centers, and thus ‘olfactory memory’ [review: ( 16 )].…”