Turkey semen medium extends quality to six hours
The innovation Nexcell by French-based reproduction biotechnology company IMV Technologies has scored one of the very few ‘three stars’ at this year’s edition of SPACE.
Nexcell is an antibiotic-free turkey semen medium allowing storage at 4°C – at which bacterial growth is inhibited.
The composition of this medium was developed by the company’s research & development department. The researchers aimed to find a medium which would lead to a high sperm cell integrity and subsequent fertility. At six hours after collection sperm cell integrity and fertility had to be equal to that of semen used 30 minutes after collection.
Tests were conducted in Italy on 2,700 Nicholas turkey females. Fertility in the group inseminated at six hours after semen collection turned out not to be different from fertility observed after insemination within 30 minutes of collection.
The company states that ‘this innovation is a first step towards segregation of male and female flocks of turkeys, allowing keeping the male stock in one location’. “A possible benefit would be to use younger males while inseminating flocks past 15 weeks and maintaining high fertility results. Another obvious benefit is the sanitary insurance that can be derived from separating the male and female in case of disease outbreak.
Until so far, the ability to store turkey semen longer than 30 minutes has been a challenge for the turkey breeding industry.
SPACE is held in Rennes, France from 10 to 13 September.
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