Cooled semen for fixed-time artificial insemination in beef cattle
Juliana C. Borges-Silva A D F , Márcio R. Silva B , Daniel B. Marinho C , Eriklis Nogueira D , Deiler C. Sampaio E , Luiz Orcírio F. Oliveira D , Urbano G. P. Abreu D , Gerson B. Mourão A and Roberto Sartori A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, 13418-900, Brazil.
B Melhore Animal Consultoria LTDA, Jaboticabal, 14871-835, Brazil.
C Ema Agropecuária Pantanal LTDA, Corumbá, 79300-006, Brazil.
D Embrapa Pantanal, Corumbá, 79320-900, Brazil.
E Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79090-900, Brazil.
F Corresponding author. Email: juliana.correa@embrapa.br
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 28(7) 1004-1008 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD14185
Submitted: 31 May 2014 Accepted: 16 November 2014 Published: 7 January 2015
Abstract
This study evaluated the use of cooled semen in a fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) program compared with frozen–thawed semen to improve pregnancy rates in beef cattle. Ejaculates of three bulls were collected and divided into two treatments: (1) frozen–thawed semen and (2) cooled semen. Egg-yolk extender without glycerol was used for the cooled semen treatment. Straws (25 × 106 spermatozoa) were submitted to cooling for preservation at 5°C for 24 h, after which FTAI was performed. Nelore cows (n = 838) submitted to FTAI were randomly inseminated using frozen–thawed semen or cooled semen. There was a 20% increase in the pregnancy per AI (P AI–1) using cooled semen compared with frozen–thawed semen (59.9 ± 4.7 vs 49.4 ± 5.0%; P < 0.005). There was no difference in P AI–1 among the bulls (P = 0.40). The frozen–thawed semen had fewer functional spermatozoa than did the cooled semen when evaluated by sperm motility (61.7 vs 81.0%), slow thermoresistance test (41.7 vs 66.7%) and hypoosmotic swelling test (38.3 vs 53.7%; P < 0.05). The percentage of sperm abnormalities did not differ between the freeze–thawing and cooling processes (18.6 vs 22.1%; P > 0.05). Because there was less damage to spermatozoa and improvement in P AI–1, the use of cooled semen instead of frozen–thawed semen is an interesting approach to increase reproductive efficiency in cattle submitted to a FTAI protocol.
Additional keywords: cooling, fertility, sperm cryopreservation.
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