Selection for milk production from a lactation biology viewpoint

The success of selection for increased milk production in dairy cows is apparent. Certainly, many herds now have average production levels that would have only been associated with the best producers in the herd 30 yr ago. There are, of course, many reasons for this success. Among these are improvements in genetic selection methods and associated use of artificial insemination, better fulfillment of nutritional needs and diet formulation, and careful attention to mastitis control and milking management. Development of new management tools (i.e., bovine somatotropin, improved crops, estrus detection devices, estrus synchronization, monitoring of individual animal performance, and disease prevention) should not be forgotten. Although many aspects of a dairy operation determine overall performance and profitability, the focus of this paper is the udder. Information indicates that both the structure and function of the bovine mammary gland have been directly impacted by long-term selection for increased milk production but improved functionality may have been more important. This review also considered studies that attempt to develop techniques and measurements for possible selection of genetically superior animals including measurement of circulating hormones and direct assay of mammary tissue function.