EAST LANSING — Research from Michigan State University Professor J. Richard Pursley is trailblazing an area within dairy cattle management that Wendell Van Gunst says is essential to keep farms profitable.

“I think almost every dairy farmer would agree that nothing is as critical to the success of a dairy farm than the reproductive success of cows on a farm,” said Van Gunst, owner of Country Dairy, a fourth-generation, 1,200-cow dairy farm in the western Lower Peninsula.

Reproduction is the key driver of lactation for dairy cows. After a cow gives birth, a new lactation begins. Timely calvings are essential for sustaining high milk production on Michigan dairy farms.

While Michigan dairy farmers rank first in the country for milk production per cow, leading Michigan agriculture by generating roughly $15.7 billion for the state’s economy each year, many operate on tight margins, and the cost of replacing cows not producing milk can become financially burdensome.

“I’m certain for most farms that most cows are culled out of a herd because of reproductive failures, and then farmers end up having to replace them,” Van Gunst said. “Today, a replacement animal is about $4,000, so every time you cull a cow, that’s the impact. This means that if you’re culling 40% of your herd every year, anything you can do to reduce that down to 34% or 35% is just money in your pocket.”

As a former dairyman himself, Pursley knows firsthand what farmers are up against daily. That’s why he’s made it a mission with his responsibilities through MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension to uncover and share ways dairy farms can grow in their efficiency, profitability and sustainability.

In 1995, he and his colleague, University of Wisconsin Professor Milo C. Wiltbank, revolutionized dairy cattle reproduction when they created a fertility program known as Ovsynch.

Instead of waiting to breed cows until entering a fertility period referred to as estrus — a practice that caused farmers to miss many breeding opportunities if estrus wasn’t noticed — Pursley co-developed a protocol that synchronized artificial insemination in dairy herds, which eliminated the chance farmers had of missing estrus.

Since then, Pursley has fine-tuned Ovsynch and designed additional programs that enhance reproduction on dairy farms using funding support from the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture — Michigan’s animal ag collaborative connecting animal ag and allied industries, MSU and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to research needs, opportunities and solutions for key sectors of the state’s $125.8 billion agriculture industry.

These programs, Pursley said, have allowed farms to go from conception rates of below 30% to 50% and higher. This has increased profitability on a 1,000-cow dairy farm by about $135,000 each year.

Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and agriculture to natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.