The intersection of biology and advanced technologies defines the future of dairy reproductive management - Invited Review Physiology

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Kurz

Advances in reproductive management in dairy cattle have been driven largely by the adoption of novel technologies. Over the past 25 years, rapid gains in fertility were achieved through tools that were not previously routine, and the next 25 years are expected to follow a similar pattern with refinement and new solutions targeting current bottlenecks in dairy reproduction. Key directions include greater on-farm automation due to farm consolidation, genomics for fertility improvement, and emerging technologies such as advanced postpartum uterine treatments and in vitro gametogenesis or blastoids.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Technology-driven progress in dairy reproduction

Future directions: automation, genomics, and emerging therapies

Key research questions and remaining challenges

JDS Communications® 2025; 6:S47–S53 [https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840](https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840)Invited Review Physiology The intersection of biology and advanced technologies defines the future of dairy reproductive management M. C. Lucy* Graphical Abstract Summary The past 25 years have been a period of rapid improvement in dairy reproduction through the implementation of new technologies that were unknown a short time ago. The next 25 years will likely be similar, with the refinement of existing technology and the development of new technology to address current challenges to dairy reproduction. Many of these new developments will address the need for greater on-farm automation, necessitated by the consolidation of farms (more cows per farm) in the face of shortages in large animal veterinary and agricultural labor. Despite important advances in new technology, there are also important questions and researchable topics that need to be addressed so the field of dairy reproduction can advance. The collective result of new knowledge and new technology will drive further improvements in genetics, fertility, and the efficiency of reproduction in high-producing dairy cattle. Highlights • New technology will address current challenges to dairy reproduction. • Consolidation (larger farms) will lead to a greater reliance on automation. • Improvements will be made to existing technologies. • Emerging technologies have the potential to effect major changes. • Important questions and researchable topics need to be addressed. Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. *Corresponding author: [lucym@missouri.edu](lucym@missouri.edu). © 2025, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ([https://creativecommons.org/](https://creativecommons.org/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/)[licenses/by/4.0/](licenses/by/4.0/))[. Received July](. Received July) 16, 2025. Accepted September 10, 2025. The list of standard abbreviations [for JDSC is available at](for JDSC is available at adsa.org/jdsc-abbreviations-25. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes)[ adsa.org/jdsc-abbreviations-25](for JDSC is available at adsa.org/jdsc-abbreviations-25. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes)[. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes](for JDSC is available at adsa.org/jdsc-abbreviations-25. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes). JDS Communications® 2025; 6:S47–S53 [https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840](https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2025-0840)Invited Review Physiology The intersection of biology and advanced technologies defines the future of dairy reproductive management M. C. Lucy* Abstract: Advances in reproductive management in dairy cattle have typically been made through the application of new technology. The past 25 yr have been a period of rapid improvement in dairy reproduction through the implementation of new technology that was unknown a short time ago. The next 25 yr will likely be similar with the refinement of existing technology and development of new technology to address the current challenges to dairy reproduction. Many of these new developments will address the need for greater on-farm automation necessitated by the consolidation of farms (more cows per farm) in the face of shortages in large animal veterinary and agricultural labor. Genomics will continue to play an important role in improving fertility on farm. There is the possibility that postpartum uterine health could benefit from advanced technologies that are emerging as effective treatments for tissue damage caused by disease. The reprogramming of somatic cells into gametes (in vitro gametogenesis) or embryos (blastoids) may entirely change the methods

FAQs

What has been the main driver of progress in dairy reproductive management over the past 25 years?

Rapid improvement has largely come from implementing new technologies that were not routinely practiced or known at the time. These tools have contributed to gains in fertility and reproductive efficiency.

Why is on-farm automation expected to become more important in the coming decades?

Farm consolidation increases the number of cows per farm while agricultural and veterinary labor becomes scarce. This creates a need for greater automation to support efficient reproduction.

What emerging technologies could change how elite genetics are propagated?

Advanced approaches such as reprogramming somatic cells into gametes (in vitro gametogenesis) or embryos (blastoids) may change methods used to propagate elite genetics from female animals.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Kurz