EFFECT OF SEASON ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES IN BUFFALO SPECIES (BUBALUS BUBALIS)

Abstract

The importance and competitiveness of buffalo breeding in Italy, compared with the other more established forms of livestock rearing, is demonstrated by the increase in the national and world buffalo population. The ever-growing trend of milk request and the necessity to cut down fixed production costs make necessary the use of biotechnologies of reproduction, such as artificial insemination (AI) and in vitro embryo production associated to ovum pick-up (OPU), that consent to plan selective directions in short time. A major limiting factor that affect the efficiency of innovative reproductive technologies in buffalo is the seasonality of the species which results in a high incidence of embryonic mortality. This study provides an overview on the effects of season on reproductive performances in Mediterranean Italian buffalo at Italian latitudes.