Seminal attributes and sperm morphology of Agonda Goan pigs

Abstract

Study of local breeds and their inclusion in breeding programme is essential owing to their higher disease resistance and adoptability to stresses. Agonda Goan, a local pig breed found in Goa, India, is preferred due to its suitability in acclimatization, less feed requirement and capacity to utilize locally available fibrous feeds. Seminal attributes namely, semen volume, sperm concentrations per millilitre and total sperms per ejaculate and the sperm morphology in Agonda Goan pigs was studied. Average semen volume was 87.31 ml and total sperms per ejaculate were 10.79 × 10 9 which were less as compared to mean semen volume (204.00 ml) and total sperms per ejaculate (111.63 × 10 9 ) in Large White Yorkshire pigs. Mean head area and mean sperm length of the Agonda Goan pig were less than that of sperms of Large White Yorkshire. These observations add to the scientific knowledge as this demonstrates differences in sperm size between boars of different breeds.

Repeat Breeding Syndrome: Prime Challenge for the Success of One Calf a Year

“…"Poor fertility is a major cause of economic losses and a major limitation to the achievement of optimum efficiency in the livestock production system" [81]. Economic losses associated with poor fertility include the cost of veterinary intervention, the expected cost due to calf loss, the cost of cows culled, and the cost of milk loss [82,83]. Impaired fertility increases the cost of milk production and reduces the income of dairy farmers, affecting the living standard of farmers [84].…”

Sperm Morphometry in Lusitu Pigs and the Motility Characteristics Post-incubation in Non-hyperactivating and Hyperactivating Media: A Comparison with the Large White Genotype

“…However, limited studies have investigated the quality of semen from indigenous breeds of pigs, particularly, using the CASA system. Moreover, a previous study (Chakurkar et al 2016) recommended the study and incorporation of indigenous pigs into breeding programs which, partly, necessitates characterization of these breeds by their semen quality. The indigenous pigs, including Lusitu and Nsenga genotypes, constitute majority (over 65%) of the national flock in Zambia (MACO 2003).…”

“…Evaluation of sperm morphology helps to determine boar prolificacy (Chakurkar et al 2016). Additionally, males differ in terms of dimension, shapes, and abnormality levels of their sperm in semen (Saravia et al 2007;Chakurkar et al 2016). This, in turn, may contribute to variations in the boars' reproductive performance (Kondracki et al 2012).…”