Fertility Results of Artificial Inseminations Performed with Liquid Boar Semen Stored in X-CellTM vs BTS Extender

The objective of the present field study was to compare the fertility results for boar semen diluted in X-cell stored up to 4-5 days before artificial insemination (AI) with semen diluted in Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) used for AI following 2-3 days of storage (where the first day being the collection day). A total number of 2601 double inseminations in Norwegian herds were included in this two-trial study. All the boars used in the study were mature cross-bred Norwegian Landrace x Duroc (LD), which were routinely used for AI in Norway. The inseminated gilts and sows were Norwegian Landrace x Yorkshire (LY). The AI doses contained 2.5 billion spermatozoa, and consisted of a mixture of semen from three, occasionally four, boars (i.e. heterospermic semen). Fertility was measured in terms of the likelihood of farrowing and subsequent litter size. The fertility of the semen in both of the extenders was satisfactory and no significant differences were found either in semen stored 4-5 days in X-cell compared with 2-3 days in BTS or in semen stored 2-3 days in X-cell compared with 2-3 days in BTS. The storage capability findings for the long-term extender X-cell could significantly simplify the practical issues of semen production and the distribution of AI doses containing 2.5 billion spermatozoa. However, in pig production systems where all semen is used within 2-3 days, the short-term extender BTS is as good as the more expensive extender X-cell.     

Simultaneous determination of carbaryl, malathion, fenitrothion, and diazinon residues in sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum L.)

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of carbaryl (1-naphthyl methylcarbamate), malathion [diethyl (dimethoxythiophosphorylthio) succinate], fenitrothion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate), and diazinon (O,O-diethyl O-2-isopropyl-6-methylpyrimidin-4-yl phosphorothioate) in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds. Sesame seeds were Soxhlet extracted with n-hexane, and the extract was subjected to a liquid-liquid partitioning and column cleanup to remove the oily coextractives prior to analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mean percent recoveries (+/- standard deviations) from sesame seeds fortified with carbaryl (0.004 to 0.035 microgram/g), malathion (0.53 to 4.25 microgram/g), fenitrothion (0.22 to 1.78 microgram/g), and diazinon (0.54 to 4.35 microgram/g) were 83.3 +/- 5.7, 85.5 +/- 6.6, 85. 6 +/- 7.2, and 88.4 +/- 4.8, respectively. The method was used for the simultaneous analysis of carbaryl, malathion, fenitrothion, and diazinon residues in sesame seeds obtained from an Ethiopian field crop that had been treated with the pesticides during its growing period.