Microbiome Engineering in Dairy Cattle: A Critical Review of Strategies for Disease Resistance, Productivity, and Sustainable Farming

Abstract

Simple Summary Dairy farming faces growing challenges as farmers must produce more milk while reducing disease, lowering the use of antibiotics, and limiting environmental impacts. This review examines current and emerging ways to improve the natural communities of helpful microorganisms that live inside dairy cows to support better health and productivity. It compares different approaches, including beneficial feed supplements, the transfer of healthy gut microorganisms, advanced gene-based methods, and data-guided farm management, to assess how close they are to routine use on farms. The evidence shows that beneficial feed supplements are already improving milk production, supporting animal health, reducing disease, and lowering the need for antibiotics. Other promising methods have shown encouraging results but still require further research before they can be safely applied on a large scale. Overall, the review concludes that future progress will depend on choosing the most suitable approach for each individual animal rather than using the same solution for every herd. These advances could help create healthier dairy cows, more sustainable farming systems, safer food production, and a cleaner environment.