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García-Vázquez FA. Artificial intelligence and porcine breeding. Anim Reprod Sci 2024:107538. [PMID: 38926001 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Livestock management is evolving into a new era, characterized by the analysis of vast quantities of data (Big Data) collected from both traditional breeding methods and new technologies such as sensors, automated monitoring system, and advanced analytics. Artificial intelligence (A-In), which refers to the capability of machines to mimic human intelligence, including subfields like machine learning and deep learning, is playing a pivotal role in this transformation. A wide array of A-In techniques, successfully employed in various industrial and scientific contexts, are now being integrated into mainstream livestock management practices. In the case of swine breeding, while traditional methods have yielded considerable success, the increasing amount of information requires the adoption of new technologies such as A-In to drive productivity, enhance animal welfare, and reduce environmental impact. Current findings suggest that these techniques have the potential to match or exceed the performance of traditional methods, often being more scalable in terms of efficiency and sustainability within the breeding industry. This review provides insights into the application of A-In in porcine breeding, from the perspectives of both sows (including welfare and reproductive management) and boars (including semen quality and health), and explores new approaches which are already being applied in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco A García-Vázquez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Excelencia Mare Nostrum, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain.
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Investigating Visual Monitoring of the Scrotum as a Supplementary Tool for Boar Semen Quality Evaluation. Vet Sci 2022; 10:vetsci10010009. [PMID: 36669010 PMCID: PMC9863619 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Farm animals behavior research uses video cameras, mainly for visual observation and recording. The purpose of this feasibility study was to enrich the predictable methods of boar semen production capacity by correlating sperm variables with the scrotal contractions (SC) frequency and intensity. A video camera was used to record the reaction of the scrotum during ejaculation. The respective collected ejaculates were evaluated and semen parameters, such as viability, morphology, membranes functional integrity and kinematics, were determined. The camera recorded the scrotal contractions/relaxations and the video was handled by the Image Processing Toolbox of Matlab (Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA, USA). The SC intensity was verified as a percentage change in the scrotum size among the video frames of maximum contraction and relaxation. The archived data from the frames were analyzed statistically, using a linear mixed effects model that involved sperm assessed parameters. Correlations of the SC intensity with the average path velocity, VAP (R2 = 0.591, p = 0.043) and with the percentage of the cytoplasmic droplets (R2 = 0.509, p = 0.036) were noticed. Previous studies reported the positive correlation of VAP with the number of live-born piglets. In conclusion, video monitoring of the boar scrotal function during ejaculation is useful, but more research is needed to establish its appropriateness as a supplementary method for the prognosis of boar ability to produce high-quality semen.
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Gómez-Prado J, Pereira AMF, Wang D, Villanueva-García D, Domínguez-Oliva A, Mora-Medina P, Hernández-Avalos I, Martínez-Burnes J, Casas-Alvarado A, Olmos-Hernández A, Ramírez-Necoechea R, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Hernández A, Torres F, Mota-Rojas D. Thermoregulation mechanisms and perspectives for validating thermal windows in pigs with hypothermia and hyperthermia: An overview. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1023294. [PMID: 36532356 PMCID: PMC9751486 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1023294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific anatomical characteristics make the porcine species especially sensitive to extreme temperature changes, predisposing them to pathologies and even death due to thermal stress. Interest in improving animal welfare and porcine productivity has led to the development of various lines of research that seek to understand the effect of certain environmental conditions on productivity and the impact of implementing strategies designed to mitigate adverse effects. The non-invasive infrared thermography technique is one of the tools most widely used to carry out these studies, based on detecting changes in microcirculation. However, evaluations using this tool require reliable thermal windows; this can be challenging because several factors can affect the sensitivity and specificity of the regions selected. This review discusses the thermal windows used with domestic pigs and the association of thermal changes in these regions with the thermoregulatory capacity of piglets and hogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Gómez-Prado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfredo M. F. Pereira
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Polo da Mitra, Évora, Portugal
| | - Dehua Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Dina Villanueva-García
- Division of Neonatology, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hernández-Avalos
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Animal Health Group, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ramiro Ramírez-Necoechea
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Astrid Hernández
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fabiola Torres
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
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