Season and Year Effect on Sperm Quality and Quantity in Boars from the Danube White Breed

Y. MARCHEV and A. APOSTOLOV
Agricultural Institute, BG-9700 Shumen, Bulgaria

Abstract

MARCHEV, Y. and A. APOSTOLOV, 2004. Season and year effect on sperm quality and quantity in boars from the Danube White breed. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 10: 249–252

A production trial was carried out at the Agricultural Institute – Shumen during the period 2000–2002. The trial comprised 9 boars from the Danube White breed. Season and year effect on the sperm quality and quantity of 396 ejaculates was studied. It was established that in autumn and winter, the values of semen volume, sperm concentration and dose number were higher than in spring and summer. Year had a significant and positive effect on semen volume (P < 0.001), dose number (P < 0.01) and spermatozoa survival rate at storage up to 72 hours.

Key words: year, season, effect, sperm quality