Reproduction and Fertility of Buffaloes in Nepal

Abstract

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Nepal contributes 57% of the total milk and 36% of the total meat production in the country. The productive efficiency of Nepalese buffaloes is quite low, due mainly to subfertility and infertility. Delayed puberty and prolonged inter-calving intervals, attributed mainly by anestrus due to silent cyclicity and ovarian acyclicity, are the major forms of infertility in Nepalese buffaloes. Moreover, buffaloes in Nepal show a distinct seasonal breeding pattern, with July to December as the active breeding season, and with April to June and January to March as the low and transitional breeding seasons, respectively. Endoparasitic infection and poor nutritional status, which are more severe during the low season, are found to be the major factors causing anestrus and compromising its treatment response in buffaloes. Various hormonal protocols for timed artificial insemination (TAI) have been attempted, with a varying pregnancy outcome. Recently, an integrated technique including anthelmintic treatment, nutritional supplementation and hormone-based fertility management programs for TAI has been developed and implemented successfully. A wider adoption of this technique as a package of practices could be key to improving the reproductive efficiency of buffaloes in Nepal.

The Current Status and Potential Development of Genetic Resources of Indigenous Toraya Spotted Buffalo in Indonesia: A Systematic Review

“…The development of livestock resources, particularly buffaloes, aims to enhance the regional economy while considering the sustainability of natural resources. Besides fostering economic growth and improving community welfare, this development objective also entails preserving the environment and reducing social inequalities (Devkota et al, 2022). This approach is in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, which prioritize long-term environmental and economic viability.…”

“…Reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET), offer efficient and selective means to improve Toraya buffalo reproduction. Compared to cattle, artificial insemination is more difficult in buffaloes due to variable estrus cycles, reduced estrus behavior, and reproductive seasonality (Devkota et al, 2022). Gunawan et al (2015) highlighted the positive impact of livestock biotechnology, particularly AI and ET, on society.…”

Effectiveness of Once Used versus New CIDR in CIDR Co-synch Protocol for Resuming Reproductive Function in Anestrous Buffaloes During Low Breeding Season

“…Buffaloes are known for having characteristics of hardiness, adaptation to humid tropical conditions and better feed efficiency compared to cattle (Peralta-Torres et al 2020). However, the production and productivity of buffaloes in Nepal is quite low due mainly to subfertility and infertility (Gautam et al 2017;Devkota et al 2023). The major causes of poor fertility associated with buffaloes are delayed onset of puberty, prolonged postpartum anestrus period and longer inter-calving interval (Kaurav et al 2020;Kumar et al 2020;Hassaneen et al 2021).…”

“…Seasonal pattern of reproduction is one of the major reasons for reduced reproductive efficiency and production output in buffaloes (Singh et al 2000;Baruselli 2001;Nanda et al 2003;Otava et al 2021;Devkota et al 2023;Gautam et al 2024). Various environmental factors like photoperiod or day length, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, either alone or in combination play significant roles in controlling such reproductive behavior (Das and Khan 2010;Hassaneen et al 2021).…”

Reproductive Performance of Swamp Buffalo with Various Dosages of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)

“…Many of these mud buffaloes are kept with traditional rearing systems in Indonesia. Buffaloes have some unique characteristics such as delayed puberty, a low sign of heat, asymmetrical estrus cycle, silent heat, seasonal breeder, poor conception, and extended calving intervals (Rashid et al 2019;Devkota et al 2023).…”