A mini review on semen sexing in bovine

Abstract

Sexing of mammalian sperm is a long-standing goal in agricultural industries including cattle breeding. Being able to pre-select the sex of offspring at the time of conception, ranks among the most sought-after reproductive biotechnologies of all time. Sexed semen is commercially offered by most global A.I. companies yielding with 90% accuracy. Fertility of sexed sperm is typically lower compared with conventional sperm. Sexed semen is recommended for breeding only virgin heifers followed by 1st or 2nd lactational cow. The success of sexed semen industry depends upon the sorting speed, accuracy and the fertility of sorted spermatozoa. The use of sexed semen is expected to affect the structure of the dairy industry by creating a greater supply of replacement heifer if reduction in conception rate can be minimized. Today, Flow cytometry is the only successful technique for the sorting of sperm.