Semen characteristics of indigenous Lusitu boars compared to the Large White pig genotype reared in Zambia.

Background: Pigs contribute to the livelihoods of traditional pig farmers (TPFs) through meat production and economic gains. However, the production of pigs, particularly genotypes indigenous to Zambia, remains suboptimal, largely due to dominance of the traditional farming practice. To actualize full productivity and contribute to increased pig numbers, the application of artificial insemination (AI) and related reproductive biotechnologies has been recommended. However, the successful application of these biotechnologies requires knowledge of animal biology.

Aim: This study investigated the semen attributes of Lusitu boars as an initial step toward successful biotechnology applications.

Methods: A two-stage nested design was used with a total of 60 ejaculates analyzed to generate data. The data were analyzed descriptively using means and standard deviations, while the inferential statistics included ANOVA and correlation coefficients.

Results: The mean scores for analyzed parameters, including semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, semen doses, vitality, total motility, and progressive motility, were above or within the recommended limits for fresh boar semen. Lusitu boar semen (LBS) scored higher (p < 0.05) in vitality and pH but significantly lower (p < 0.05) in volume, sperm concentration, and semen doses compared with the Large White genotype. The mean scores of sperm abnormality indices and motility traits were generally similar (p > 0.05) between the two boar genotypes. The boar effect was significant on semen volume, pH, and motility (p < 0.05). Despite multiple correlations observed for some traits, no characteristic correlated with all studied traits.

Conclusion: Characterization of indigenous Lusitu boars by their semen attributes revealed that this genotype produced semen whose quality parameter scores were above/within limits/range acceptable for fresh boar semen. In addition, each genotype had some areas of strength over the other, although the Large White generally performed better. The indigenous Lusitu boar may perform with desirable results when reproductive biotechnology is applied, particularly the AI program.