Keywords:
boar
tropical climate
artificial insemination
semen quality

  • Abstract

    Semen production among commercial boar centers is influenced by various factors, including environmental temperature, humidity, breed, age, nutrition, and frequency of collection. This study aimed to investigate the effects of breed, environmental temperature, and humidity on the quality of boar semen used for artificial insemination (AI) in Tanzania. Ninety ejaculates were collected from six boars, with two boars representing each of the Duroc, Large White, and Dupi breeds. Semen samples were collected via the gloved hand technique, and individual boar temperatures were measured with a digital infrared thermometer. The environmental temperature and humidity were recorded via digital meteorological devices. Semen samples were assessed for volume, sperm concentration, progressive motility, viability, morphology, and acrosomal integrity. The data was stored in Microsoft Excel and analyzed via SPSS software. The mean and standard deviation for semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, progressive motility, viability, morphology, and acrosomal integrity per ejaculate were 167.78 ± 67.31 ml, 7.27 ± 0.48, 2.54x10⁸ ± 9.05×10⁶ sperm/mL, 91.58 ± 5.60%, 86.91 ± 5.85%, 93.84± 2.34%, and 90.04 ± 4.76%, respectively. Temperature negatively impacted acrosome integrity in Large White boars, with no effects in Duroc boars and a positive relationship in Dupi boars. The environmental temperature was negatively associated with viability and acrosome integrity. The study concluded that Large White boars are more tolerant to environmental factors, suggesting a need for breed-specific management strategies to increase semen production in the tropical swine industry.

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Kemoi, V. C., Kashoma, I. P., & Kichuki , M. (2025). The impact of environmental and boar breed factors on the quality of semen used for artificial insemination in Tanzania. Applied Veterinary Research, 3(3), 2024012. https://doi.org/10.31893/avr.2024012
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