Will AI in pigs become more efficient?

• AI is commercially applied worldwide to breed pigs, yielding fertility outcomes similar to those of natural mating. However, it is not fully efficient, as only liquid-stored semen is used, with a single boar inseminating about 2000 sows yearly. The use of liquid semen, moreover, constrains international trade and slows genetic improvement. Research efforts, reviewed hereby, are underway to reverse this inefficient scenario. Special attention is paid to studies intended to decrease the number of sperm used per pregnant sow, facilitating the practical use of sexed frozen-thawed semen in swine commercial insemination programs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Clinical Medicine  (hsv)

Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Klinisk medicin  (hsv)

Reproduktionsmedicin och gynekologi  (hsv)

Keyword

Swine; Fixed-time AI; Frozen-thawed semen; Sexed sperm; Seminal plasma