CORRELATION OF EJACULATE PARAMETERS AND SPERM MORPHOLOGY WITH THE EJACULATE VOLUME OF PIETRAIN BOARS

I. Jozwik, K. Gorski, A. Wysokinska, S. Kondracki

Abstract: The objective was to analyze the connection between physical ejaculate parameters and sperm morphology and the volume of Pietrain boar ejaculates. The study covered 87 ejaculates collected from 10 Polish Pietrain boars. Ejaculate samples were collected from each of the boars once a month for sperm morphology analyses. The samples were used for preparing microscopic slides. Fifteen randomly selected spermatozoa were morphometrically measured. Their morphologic structure indices were additionally calculated. The frequency of morphological abnormalities in the spermatozoa was also determined. Spermatozoa with major and minor abnormalities were specified according to Blom’s classification. Also, conventional evaluation of ejaculates was made following methods used at Polish sow insemination centers. A relationship was identified between ejaculate volume and morphometric parameters of spermatozoa. A rise in ejaculate volume was accompanied with increasing head and tail length, with the longest sperms identified in the most voluminous ejaculates. It was found that a rise in ejaculate volume was accompanied with a decrease in sperm concentration and an increase in the total sperm count.

Keywords: boar; ejaculate volume; morphometric characteristics; spermatozoa

Date published: 2019-04-19