Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5790383 | Livestock Science | 2013 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
The objective of the present research was to determine the effect of increasing and decreasing natural photoperiods on selected parameters of boar ejaculates. The study material consisted of 17 boars: six Polish Large White (PLW) breed, five Polish Landrace (PL) breed, and six DurocÃPietrain (DÃP) crossbreed, all aged between 8 and 12 months at the beginning of the research. Analyses were conducted on 612 ejaculates, which were collected in two experimental periods: an increasing photoperiod (IP) (January-June) and a decreasing photoperiod (DP) (July-December). A statistically proven impact of photoperiod on the volume of semen was observed in all the studied breeds (P=0.004). During the decreasing photoperiod the mean volume of semen was 261.16±75.20 ml and this was almost 17 ml higher than that for the increasing period. For boars involved in the experiment, day length also had a significant impact on the total number of motile spermatozoa (P=0.037). In the increasing photoperiod the mean number was 3.26Ã109 lower. A decreasing photoperiod has a positive affect on both boars and the parameters of the collected ejaculates, which were observed in the higher number of insemination doses per ejaculate. Between the different breeds, the reactions of boars to photoperiod differed and the most significant influence of photoperiod on semen parameters was noted among DÃP breed boars. Least susceptible to changes in day length were PLW breed boars.
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Animal Science and Zoology
Authors
Damian Knecht, Sebastian ÅrodoÅ, Karolina Szulc, Kamil DuziÅski,