Introduction. Livestock information systems, besides being indispensable for the daily management of the herd, can serve as a basis for research at the population level. Objective.The objective of the study was to analyze the role of the VAMPP® system as a source of information for cattle population research over 32 years of evolution in Costa Rica. Materials and methods. A statistical analysis of the system database (VAMPP®) covering the period between 1987 and 2018 was carried out. Trends in the dissemination and adoption of the system were evaluated according to period, area, production system, and herd size. The use of information for the exploration of trends by breed and area was exemplified. The contribution of the system at the academy level and production of scientific literature was quantified. Results. 2285 herds (88.8 % specialized dairy and 11.2 % dual purpose) were counted with an average of 9.4±7.9 years of follow-up in the VAMPP® system. The areas with greater diffusion were the very humid premontane forest (29 %) and very humid tropical forest (25 %). The average size of the herd was 124±255 adult cows. The system contains records on 404 316 cows, mostly of Holstein (36.3 %), Jersey (24.6 %), and Holstein×Jersey (20.9 %) breeds. The database includes information on 1,249,557 calvings, 16,223,260 records of daily milk production, and 443,108 health events, predominantly related to mastitis (35.6 %) and laminitis (14.1 %). The system has been used for the elaboration of at least 74 investigations leading to academic degrees and the production of 71 scientific articles, mainly related to health and genetic issues. Conclusion. The information obtained from the VAMPP® system has allowed a detailed characterization of the productive performance of local dairy cattle.

Objective. To compare the reproductive performance of postpartum and open Bos indicus cows and to study the cost effectiveness of retaining non-pregnant animals after a short breeding season in tropical region of Mexico. Material and Methods. A total of 128 Bos indicus were included, 87 postpartum cows (PP) with ≤90 days after calving and 41 open cows (OC) with >90 days open. The study was divided into three phases: 1) Estrus synchronization followed by FTAI (day 0-10), 2) Estrus detection and AI (day 11-45) and 3) Natural mating (day 46-90). For the first phase, all animals were synchronized and AI at fixed time (day 10). Cows displaying overt signs of estrus (day 11-45) were AI. Open cows during the previous two phases were exposed to the bull. Results. Pregnancy in phase 1 was different (p<0.01) for PP and OC groups, 58.6% and 34.1%, respectively. Overall pregnancy percentage over the second service was 42.5% (p>0.05). No differences (p>0.05) were observed at phase 3, average 44.2%. By the end of the breeding season, the cost of OC, was 3 times more than PP cows. Conclusions. Pregnancy rate at first phase was higher in PP cows than OC cows. At the end of breeding season, a pregnancy rate of 80% was found. Incorporation of open cows from previous breeding season was more expensive than PP cows in all phases of the breeding program. Retaining an open cow for rebreeding one year or more could not be economically feasible.