European Union-funded researchers have developed an innovative automated seminal quality system (SQS) to rapidly and reliably analyze semen samples and increase the production and profitability of pig farms, according to an announcement from the EU's CORDIS platform.

Artificial insemination (AI) centers are seeking to improve pig reproduction rates through a faster and more reliable system for analyzing the quality of boar semen, the announcement said. Higher pig fertility rates could help farmers meet the increasing demand for pork and help feed a growing global population.

Successful AI depends on several factors, but the most critical is the determination of semen quality, as current methods are neither efficient nor practical. The Horizon 2020 project SQS addressed this challenge by developing an automated system for optimizing sperm dose production, reducing the analysis time and ensuring the correct level of semen quality.

According to the announcement, the system uses fluorescence to determine the three main factors affecting sperm fertility: viability, concentration and morphology. It also automatically calculates the volume and the number of doses needed in less than two minutes.

“The ease of use and the automated process enables AI centers to produce doses that guarantee a high level of potential reproduction,” said Dr. Rosa Planelles, project coordinator and research and development manager with the SME Zoitech lab.

“It is the only system that offers an accurate automated analysis on the quality of the cell membrane using an easy-to-handle dehydrated staining system, providing immediate results,” Planelles explained. “SQS device, SQS kit and SQS lab integrate [for] the SQS system, which has been validated both by experts and by end users, during the project.”

Reports of individual results are stored on an automated database system, which enables specific data selection and data filtering and improves the decision-making process. Moreover, it allows users to store and share data with other systems at different locations, the announcement said.

The researchers aimed to provide a breakthrough solution, enabling the pig industry to upgrade farm production capacity by increasing efficiency in swine reproduction processes by at least 15% and reducing costs by 50%, thus boosting profits, the announcement said.

“The SQS system represents the best technological tool for the artificial reproduction and farming industries as it does not require training or calibration because it uses a pre-dye support for easy and cost-effective identification, enabling the automatic counting of samples,” Planelles said.

The tool is suitable for AI centers managing more than 100 boars that are fully dedicated to producing and characterizing pig semen for sale to farmers. It is also suited to different sizes of operations for pig producers who wish to analyze the semen quality of their own boars and boost pig reproduction.

SQS is already helping farmers and experts in artificial reproduction by providing fast and accurate quality seminal analysis in the pig farming industry. “The device can rapidly obtain reliable and accurate results regarding semen quality and reduce the workload associated with data input and analysis. It also reduces errors and the misinterpretation of the results and facilitates decision-making,” Planelles concluded.