Reproduction and Fertility of Buffaloes in Nepal

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Buffalo is the major livestock commodity in Nepal, contributing more than half of the total milk and more than one-third of the meat production in the country. One of the major constraints of buffalo production in Nepal is the low productive efficiency, due mainly to compromised fertility, characterized by delayed puberty, silent estrus, anestrus and seasonal breeding patterns. Poor management, reflected by endoparasitic infection and a low nutritional status, is found to be associated with anestrus and its treatment response in buffaloes. Recently, improved management, combined with timed artificial insemination techniques, has been adopted, which has improved the pregnancy outcomes. This review highlights the reproduction and fertility status of Nepalese buffaloes, the factors influencing fertility and the techniques that enhance the reproductive efficiency 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.