By Geitner Simmons
The findings of Wood, a Ph.D. in molecular physiology and the immediate past president of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, and her colleagues deepen understanding of bovine reproduction and help producers more effectively use assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to improve cow reproductive success and calf health. Collaborative efforts are also identifying ways to pick better replacement heifers.
Innovative research by Wood, a professor in the department, has resulted in a range of notable basic science findings about bovine fertility and embryo quality. Maintaining consistent nutrition and appropriate body condition is clearly beneficial for the animal overall, but Wood has found it provides an important added benefit — increased chances that cows will produce healthy eggs capable of establishing pregnancy.
“It's harder for a cow to get pregnant if she's metabolically unstable,” Wood said. Dairy cows can face nutritional deficits when they’re lactating, for example. “On the beef cattle side, if there are changes in forage, you can get fluctuations in nutrient availability that could really impact the metabolism of the animal.”
Wood’s research shows that environmental stresses reduce the quality of a cow’s immature egg cells, or oocytes.
Under ideal conditions, Wood said, the mother’s genes and proteins support conception and the early stages of development. These factors are eventually cleared out to allow for continued development as the embryo grows. Environmental stresses, however, often disrupt these processes.
Wood’s work aims to identify ways to prevent or fix these stress-related complications, improve pregnancy success, support healthier embryo development and ultimately enhance calf performance.
Source : unl.edu