USask researchers discover new reproductive method that will revolutionize cattle production

There are sure signs of spring on the Canadian Prairies — snow melting, pelicans splashing down in the South Saskatchewan River, and the sight of brand-new calves taking shaky first steps in the field.

Behind those brand-new calves is an industry, deeply rooted in research, that works tirelessly to ensure cows are healthy and thriving. Cattle production is integral to Saskatchewan’s economy, and the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) is, in many ways, leading the charge in beef cattle research in the province.

Dr. Jaswant Singh (DVM, PhD), researcher at USask’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), has spent his career researching the reproductive management of cattle and working on new methods to help farmers increase the number of healthy herd members.

In two recent papers published in Biology of Reproduction and Theriogenology, Singh and graduate student, Dylan Farmer, demonstrated their findings on a revolutionary method of cattle reproduction that has been in the making for over 25 years.

Singh joined USask as a PhD student in the 1990s when WCVM researchers were developing methods to control ovulation in animals called ovulation synchronization.

“Ovulation synchronization gave producers the ability to have 400 animals inseminated on a Tuesday afternoon,” said Singh. “This kind of control is very important for beef cattle production."

The original USask method used the hormone estradiol to synchronize cattle ovulation and was so effective that it was soon the preferred protocol used around the world. But, by the early 2000s, the hormonal method began to fall out of favour in Europe and the United States.

“The hormone estradiol is a form of estrogen, and there were environmental and consumer concerns at the time to use estrogens in food producing animals. That sent us back into the lab to try and develop an alternative method,” said Singh.

Over the next 25 years, Singh and his colleagues at the WCVM worked tirelessly to find an alternative protocol that was just as effective and simple to use. But after decades of work, each method came up short.

Then, in 2018, Singh and his graduate student Carlos Leonardi were conducting a separate study on another reproductive hormone that led to an unexpected discovery. The unrelated experiment revealed a possible new candidate for the long sought after ovulation synchronization method.