Effect of environmental stressors on productive and reproductive performances of dairy cow and buffaloes

The dairy sector is more vulnerable to global warming and climate change. Environmental Stressors affect the economic sustainability of the farmers and farm directly by reducing the productive and reproductive performance of dairy animals. Dairy animals under stress conditions exhibit lower DMI and milk yield. Reduction in the synthesis of milk and susceptibility of dairy cows more to illness is the result of stress, which can affect further directly and/or indirectly metabolic and physiological acclimation. Stress does not only affect productive performance but also directly affect reproductive performance like reducing duration and intensity of estrus, altered follicular development, impaired embryonic development and growth of cattle through disordering of metabolism. Low reproductive efficiency in dairy cows and buffaloes inflict heavy economic losses all over the world. Nutritional and management (i.e. cooling systems) strategies used to minimize the negative impact of environmental stress on dairy cow and buffaloes. In this review an attempt has been made to bring forth the effect of heat stress and to discuss their impact on dairy cows and buffaloes.