Bioscientifica Proceedings

Artificial insemination with fresh or stored semen is currently the only sperm technology used at a commercial scale in the pig industry. Attention should therefore be given for further improvement of the functionality and fertilizing ability of cryopreserved semen, as well as for sperm sorting for gender pre-selection. During the last two decades various proteins and polypeptides have been identified in boar seminal plasma, and the relevance of some of them to reproductive technologies has been discussed at this conference. The long- term goal should be to isolate/synthetize those seminal plasma proteins proven important for the spermatozoa, and use them as ingredients in media used for e.g. cryopreservation and sex sorting of semen. A close cooperation between biochemists, molecular biologists and animal scientists is necessary to reach this goal.

The genomic revolution has brought us transcriptional profiling, allowing for the identification of many genes involved e.g. in mammalian gametogenesis, fertilization, and preimplantation embryo development. We do expect further progress within this field of research during coming years. The new information has also capacity to revolutionize the genetic progress within animal breeding.

The time of insemination in relation to ovulation is of great importance for fertility. Promising results were presented when using single insemination with fresh semen at fixed-time ovulation. However, further research is needed to find out if the same model also works in females given deep insemination with lower sperm number, or inseminated with sexed semen. Piglet mortality is multifaceted in nature. To be successful in improving piglet survival in commercial pig production, a balanced selection program should be coupled with environmental and nutritional interventions.

Welfare and ethical aspects of commercial production are of growing interest for the society and for consumer organisations and cannot be neglected. More attention should therefore be paid to introduction/ improvement of different loose-/group-housing systems for sows all over the world.

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