Dosing Bovine Semen by Progressively Motile Sperm: Impact on Pregnancy Rates in Dairy Cattle

TO BE PRESENTED AT THE 2010 ANNUAL SOCIETY FOR THERIOGENOLOGY MEETING IN SEATTLE, WA JULY 27th-30th

Y. Zeron¹, L. Rabinovitch², U.Shalit², M. Deutsch².

¹Sion A.I. Company, Israel, ²Medical Electronic Systems, Caesarea, Israel.

The objective of this field trial was to evaluate the impact on pregnancy rates in dairy cattle inseminated with frozen semen that was dosed by progressively motile sperm per AI dose post thaw (PMPT).

The trial was divided into two phases. Phase 1 established a post thaw progressive motility loss factor (PMLF) per bull enrolled in the trial, tested the accuracy of preparing AI straws by # of progressively motile cells/straw post thaw, and provided the AI straws for the second phase.  Phase 2 analyzed the impact on pregnancy rates when inseminating large numbers of dairy cattle with the AI straws prepared in the first phase. In phase 1 of the trial, a unique PMLF was established for each of four Holstein bulls enrolled in the trial. The PMLF represents the overall percent decrease in the number of progressively motile cells resulting from the freezing/thawing process. Both fresh and post thaw frozen semen was tested using an automated sperm quality analyzer for bulls, the SQA-Vb. AI doses were all prepared using B-Sperm™ dosing software (Medical Electronic Systems, Ltd., Israel). Once the PMLF was established for each bull, 10 ejaculates from each of the four bulls were collected and tested using the automated SQA-Vb. Each ejaculate was split into four aliquots and used to prepare four AI dose batches (A, B, C, D) following the B-Sperm™ dosing software instructions. Three aliquots (A, B, C) were dosed by the number of progressively motile sperm post thaw targeting 1.5, 3.5 and 7.0 million per dose respectively. One aliquot per ejaculate (D) was dosed by targeting 15.0 million total number of sperm/dose, representing the standard dose preparation procedure at the stud (SION AI Company, Israel) and served as the study control. Microsoft Excel™ was used for statistical evaluation of the trial results.

A complete semen analysis was performed on seventy-six post-thaw AI straws from each batch using the SQA-Vb to determine the actual PMPT. The mean values +/- SEM for PMPT by batch were: (A) 1.5 +/- 0.05; (B) 3.0 +/- 0.09 and (C) 6.2 +/- 0.18 million progressively motile spermatozoa per dose. The mean value +/- SEM for total sperm cells per AI dose in batch D (Control) was 13.6 +/- 0.15 million. These results were found to be acceptable and a total of approximately 8,000 AI doses (2,000 per group) were distributed into straws and frozen by the stud technicians (Sion AI Company, Israel). In the 2^nd phase of the trial 6,494 Holstein cows residing in more than 500 farms were artificially inseminated with semen from batch A, B, C or D between January and April 2009. Manual palpation pregnancy testing was conducted by veterinarians at approximately 42 days post-insemination. The insemination procedure and the pregnancy testing were performed blindly.  Pregnancy rates (per cow per cycle) were found to be: (Group A Target: 1.5 M Progressively Motile Sperm/dose) 34.2%; (Group B Target 3.5 M Progressively Motile Sperm/dose) 39.3%; (Group C Target 7.0 Progressively Motile Sperm/dose) 43.2; (Group D Control Target 15.0 M Total Sperm/dose) 38.6%. Significant differences were found between groups A (1.5M Prog Mot) and D (15M Total), C (7.0M Prog Mot) and D (15M Total), A (1.5M Prog Mot) and C (7.0M Prog Mot). The relative differences in pregnancy rates in the experimental groups A, B and C vs. the control were: -11.4%, 1.8% and 11.9%, respectively. A high correlation between the pregnancy rates in groups A, B and C and the number of progressively motile spermatozoa per AI dose (r = 0.96) was found.

It can be concluded that it is possible to accurately produce AI straws of frozen bovine semen based on a targeted post thaw number of progressively motile sperm cells per dose in a commercial setting. It was also demonstrated that pregnancy rates highly correlate to the number of progressively motile sperm cells per AI dose as demonstrated by a favorable 11.9% increase in pregnancy rates using AI straws from the highest PMPT group (C=7.0M Prog Mot) vs. the control, and in contrast, a 11.4% decrease in pregnancy rates using AI straws from the lowest PMPT group (A=1.5M Prog Mot) vs. the control.

Key words: Progressive motility; Pregnancy rate; SQA-Vb; Frozen bovine semen; B-Sperm

At 11:45 am on July 11th, 2010 Advanced Agricultural Technologies will present the results of our 2 year Progressive Motility fertility study for the first time.  It will happen at the American Dairy Science Association annual meeting in Denver, Colorado (taking place the 11th through the 15th).  Please join us there and see how our technology will change the industry.  Here is an abstract of the presentation:

The Impact on Pregnancy Rates in Dairy Cattle Artificially Inseminated with Semen Prepared by Number of Progressively Motile Sperm.
Rabinovitch^{1}^; U. Shalit^{1}^; M. Deutsch^{1}^;Y. Zeron^{2}^;P.Chenoweth^{3}^Medical Electronic Systems^{1}^; Sion A.I. Company, Israel^{2}^; CharlesSturt University, Australia^{3}^

The trial objective was to evaluate the pregnancy rates of dairy cattle inseminated with varying amounts of progressively motile sperm, post thaw (PMPT).  In phase 1, straws were prepared to contain specific numbers of progressively motile sperm, post thaw.  In phase 2, cows were inseminated and pregnancy rates were analyzed.  All semen testing and dosing was performed at an operating AI stud facility (SION A.I. Company) using an SQA-Vb, automated sperm quality analyzer for Bulls (Medical Electronic Systems).  Forty ejaculates collected from four bulls were split into four groups and 2000 straws per group were targeted to contain: Group A, B and C; 1.5, 3.5 and 7.0 million PMPT sperm/straw respectively. The target for group D (Control) was 15.0 million total sperm per straw per the AI stud’s routine.  228 straws from groups A, B and C were quality control tested based on mean (+/- SE) values for PMPT sperm and demonstrated:  (A) 1.5 (+/- 0.05); (B) 3.0 (+/- 0.09) and (C) 6.2 (+/- 0.18) million. 76 straws from Group D (Control) established a mean (+/- SE) value of 13.6 (+/- 0.15) million. 6,494 cows in over 500 farms were blindly inseminated between January and April 2009.  At approximately 42 days post-insemination, pregnancy rates (per cow per cycle) were determined per rectal palpation by group as follows: (A) 34.2%; (B) 39.3%; (C) 43.2%; (D) 38.6%. The relative difference in pregnancy rates for groups A, B and C versus the control (D) were: -11.4%, 1.8% and 11.9%, respectively.  Pregnancy rates in groups A, B and C correlated to the number of progressively motile sperm (r=0.96).  It is concluded that the number of progressively motile sperm per AI dose significantly impacts subsequent bovine pregnancy rates. Further, it is possible to accurately produce AI straws based on the number of PMPT sperm. Use of these findings could help improve bovine AI reproductive performance while allowing more effective utilization of superior bulls.

Israel is known to be one of the most successful milk producing nations in the world with exemplary milk production per cow. There are over 500 dairy farms in Israel that belong to a national dairy co-op known as the Cattle Confederation. The Cattle Confederation maintains a centralized herd book that tracks and reports the genetics and health and milk production/quality for over 100,000 dairy cattle. Under the umbrella of the Cattle Confederation is the Haklaite, an organization of veterinarians providing health related services to the cattle industry and SION AI Stud which produces the AI straws used to inseminate the dairy cattle (with the assistance of the SQA-Vb and B-Sperm™ dosing software). A-TECH was invited to follow “Dr. Alex” of Sion AI Stud on his insemination rounds in December 2009. Of interest to A-Tech was the process of tracking the cow, determining whether she was “in-heat,” selecting AI samples and observing how the AI straws are handled in field conditions. A-Tech wanted to observe the full cycle of milk production in Israel at a cross-section of farms with as few as 200 cows and as many as 1200. “Dr. Alex” has been working for the dairy co-op (SION AI stud) for over 30 years. On his day with A-Tech he visited 14 farms.

Here are some pictures and description of the process:

A graph is viewed to determine if a cow is ready for insemination. A software program used by the co-op takes pedometer data and looks for increased activity as one indication that the cow in in-heat. The graph spikes can be viewed in this picture:


A record card and label are kept on file for every dairy cow. The card contains her statistics and genetic history. A bar-coded label is affixed to the form for easy identification and tracking:


A hand held PDA scans the bar-code label on the cow record card and the cow data is automatically transferred into the device:


“Dr. Alex” then enters relevant AI data by hand. The data base is checked electronically and a warning is displayed if the cow/bull are related and the insemination is not allowed:


A genetic chart of participating AI bulls and their genetic characteristics is reviewed in order to select the best AI straw for the cow. Milk production, leg strength, etc. are considered:


A small liquid nitrogen tank contains AI straws prepared at SION AI STUD using the SQA-Vb and B-Sperm dosing software. Straws are thawed and loaded into the insemination gun to prepare for the insemination procedure:


The insemination is performed by “Dr. Alex” on Bessie:
 

Cows taking a meal before insemination:


Almost ready for the milking parlor:

The QwikCheck™ Gold Bull has just hit the market after being used for BSE exams in the field. The beta testing was done “in field conditions” to determine how the QwikCheck™ would perform from the back of a truck or on a portable table at the bull collection pens. “Dr. Moti (DVM)” was engaged by A-TECH to test the system during his bi-annual bull soundness examination rounds. He used the system, label printer and testing capillaries after very little training and successfully performed his rounds over a couple of weeks in October-November, 2009.

Trailing water, you could mistake them for ducklings:

System in action, waiting for the next sample:


System, printer, supplies and mil-spec travel case - the complete package:


A fine animal taking in the morning sun:

In 2008 A-Tech Global and Sion Israel began a long term study to establish a correlation between dosing semen by progressive motility and pregnancy rates in dairy cattle. The trial was conducted in field conditions at more than 500 dairy farms with over 6,000 cows participating making it the most comprehensive fertility study ever conducted in Israel.  For dose preparation and quality control Sion Israel used a new technology: The SQA-Vb (Bull) Automated Semen Analyzer.  The SQA-Vb can accurately dose samples based on Progressive Motile Sperm in 45 seconds, perform post thaw quality control, and much more.  The system was quickly integrated into Sion's semen processing operation and was the technology of choice for this fertility trial.  With the much anticipated phase 3 results set to shake up the industry, A-Tech Global wanted to acknowledge the excellent work of Sion and provide our customers with some more information about their organization.

Sion A.I. was founded in 2001 through a merger between the On and Hasherut A.I. cooperatives. Sion currently maintains 240 bulls located in three different sites.  Each year, approximately 350,000 inseminations are performed in Israel, 92.5% with local semen from the Israeli-Holstein breed.  The Israeli dairy cattle population has the highest average milk and milk solids production in the world, even though dairy production is influenced by heat stress for most of the year.  Israeli bulls transmit outstanding genetics for milk yield and components, and excel in fertility, longevity and udder health traits. Sion employs 36 insemination technicians.  Currently, 88% of the dairy herds are involved in the DHI system. Insemination information is recorded by the technicians on hand-held computer terminals. This system allows for error-free data transfer to the central Israel Cows Breeders Association – ICBA computer.  Semen collection starts when bulls are 14 months old. Genetic evaluations are computed biannually, and the status of the bulls and cows are reevaluated after each new genetic evaluation.  For more information, please visit Sion's Website: www.sion-israel.com.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

A-Tech CEO Marcia Deutsch and US Director (and blog author) Eric Carver making a new friend at Sion:


"The Team" at lunch time:


A beautiful shot of Sion's facility from across the field:


Two mechanics "checking the oil":


A heart-felt endorsement letter from Director of Science and Production Yoel Zeron:


Want to learn more?  Click the logo below:

New for 2010, the A-Tech Global QwikCheck Gold (BULL) now tests Fresh AND Frozen semen - can you take the cold?

 

Both tests take only 45 seconds and deliver results far more accurate than other methods available.  Affordable, objective, and field-strong engineering make the QwikCheck Gold (BULL) the perfect choice for any Veterinarian dealing with Bovine reproduction.  Set yourself apart from the crown and offer your customers the following information in 45 seconds:

Reported Semen Parameters: FRESH
Total Sperm Concentration - Millions/milliliter
Motility - %
Morphology - % Normal
Progressive Motility - %
Motile Sperm Concentration - Millions/milliliter
Progressively Motile Sperm Concentration - Millions/milliliter
Velocity - Microns/second
# Sperm - Billions per sample
# Progressively Motile Sperm - Billions per sample
# Motile Sperm - Billions per sample

Reported Semen Parameters: FROZEN
Motile Sperm Concentration - Millions/milliliter
Progressively Motile Sperm Concentration - Millions/milliliter
Velocity - Microns/second
Motile Sperm - Per Staw/Semen
Progressively Motile Sperm - Volume

FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE SEE PRODUCT PAGE HERE

The 2009 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Meeting in Omaha, Neb. in September, offered A-Tech America the opportunity to unveil our newest automated semen analyzer, the "QwikCheck™ GOLD BSE system for Bulls".  The Bovine version of the QwikCheck™ GOLD is a high performance veterinary device that performs a complete quantitative evaluation of Bull sperm quality for BSE testing in less than 1 minute.  The Bovine Veterinarians in attendance were drawn to this high performance, user-friendly system for its accurate and precise analysis of sperm concentration, motility, morphology and more. 

Overall attendance of the show this year topped 1,800 people. AABP Executive Vice President Gatz Riddell, DVM, notes that there were 1,210 veterinarians and students (267 total veterinary students), 430 persons exhibiting, 170 accompanying persons and 64 people from 18 countries outside of the U.S. and Canada.

The new AABP Executive Board includes: President Roger Saltman, President-Elect Christine Navarre, Vice President Brian Gerloff and Immediate Past President Dick Wallace.  A-Tech America was proud to support the board and the association as an exhibitor and showcase sponsor.

Outgoing AABP President Dick Wallace, left AABP attendees with this challenge in his outgoing address: “No matter what you do, come at it with a passion.”  A-Tech America Director of Sales and Marketing, Eric Carver, reminded all in attendance to “Remember, it ALL started with a Sperm!”  CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOVINE PRODUCTS

A-Tech Global is pleased to welcome Quantum Scientific as our exclusive Australian distributor!  Seen here at the Australian Cattle, Sheep & Reproduction Veterinarians Conference representing the SQA-Vb Bull Automated Semen Analyzer, Quantum Scientific brings a high level of technical and clinical knowledge to the table in addition to their world class service and support.  The A-Tech Bovine analyzer was well received by those in attendance at the show and we look forward to showcasing our speed, accuracy, and precision to the market on a large scale.  The SQA-Vb reports Sperm Concentration, Motility, Morphology, Velocity, and much more all in 45 seconds.  Speakers at the conference included: Peter Chenoweth, John Aitken, Paul Kenyon, Kevin Stafford, Victor Cortese, Jeremy Thompson, Michael Thibier, Alan Seawright, and more.  Visit Quantum Scientific on the web at: www.quantum-scientific.com.au.  For more information on the SQA-Vb, QwikCheck™ Gold, or QwikCheck™ QCb Automated Bull Semen Analyzers please visit our product page here: BULL PRODUCTS


 

A-Tech (Advanced Agricultural Technologies), in cooperation with SION Bull Stud (Israel) began a fertility trial in mid 2008.  Our SQA-Vb Automated Semen Analyzer was used to prepare AI doses based on total sperm concentration and different levels of progressively motile sperm concentration in order to better understand the benefits of dosing based on progressively motile sperm vs. total sperm in a production setting.  10,000 frozen straws were prepared using the SQA-Vb system's dosing instructions.  The straws were divided into the following categories: 2,500 straws prepared with 15 million total sperm, 2,500 straws prepared with 1.5 million progressively motile sperm, 2,500 straws prepared with 3.5 million progressively motile sperm and 2,500 straws prepared with 7 million progressively motile sperm.  After freezing, the straws were then run on the quality control (frozen) mode of the SQA-Vb analyzer to insure dose quality and survivability.  Thousands of cows from multiple dairies throughout Israel participated in the study and now the data from this trial is being evaluated for impact on fertility. The data assessment phase is scheduled for completion in Q3, 2009.  Please stay tuned for the results - it should be quite an eye opener.

For an overview of the first two phases of the trial (validating the SQA-Vb and preparing the straws) please review this presentation made by A-Tech Global's chief Veterinarian Dr. Uri Shalit at last years Theriogenology conference in St Louis:

PHASE 1 & 2 THERIOGENOLOGY PRESENTATION

For more information on the SQA-Vb and our other Bovine automated semen analyzers, please visit our Bull products section HERE
  

A-Tech was proud to debut our new line of QwikCheck™ Semen Analyzers at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento California.  Interest was high for the new systems and the A-Tech staff enjoyed teaching people about the advantages of automation.  Mare owners entering into the world of breeding found great value in our QwikCheck™ QC device, which allows them to quickly and objectively report sperm concentration, motility and progressive motility in their purchased doses.  Those who collect stallions can  take advantage of our QwikCheck™ Gold system which accurately analyzes Raw, Extended, Cooled, and Frozen semen.  A few young ladies stopped by the booth to pose in some A-Tech hats (see picture below).  Spirits were high at the Western States Horse Expo and A-Tech was proud to showcase our new Automated Semen Analyzers.

For more information on the QwikCheck™ QC device for Stallions or the QwikCheck™ GOLD device for Stallions click HERE

Some young ladies from the show wearing A-Tech-Global.com promotional hats: