Scientist in Uganda have found that coconut water is really useful for something other than human hydration — artificially inseminating pigs. Scientists in Uganda say that coconut water can be utilized to successfully transport pig sperm utilized in synthetic insemination.

Figure 1: Artificially inseminating pigs using coconut water.

Figure 1 shows that Uganda has the best pork consumption in East Africa, with every particular person consuming round 7.5 kilos (3.4 kilograms) of the meat per 12 months. Coconut water is a classy different to sports activities drinks for many individuals, regardless of a scarcity of scientific proof to show it’s any extra hydrating than common water. [1]

"Artificial insemination facilitates the collection of boar semen from superior boars to improve the genotypes, and subsequently higher productivity is achieved," said Elly Ndyomugyenyi, Uganda's Gulu University.

Farmers take fresh coconut water from five-month-old fruit known to be rich in nutrients such as sodium and potassium, he added. The water is used to aid insertion and delivery of the semen into the female pig's reproductive canal.

"High concentration of sodium and potassium in the green coconuts are factors which help in sperm motility and longevity," Ndyomugyenyi explained. "Coconut fruits are readily available in the local markets. They are sold like other local fruits."

Extraction is done by opening the fruit with a sanitized blade, after which the water is poured into a clean beaker before it is transferred using a cotton cloth. [2]

scientists have found that the sodium and potassium in the water are also great for supporting pig sperm. In a project that began in 2017 and involved more than 1,000 farmers, researchers found that coconut water improved sperm transport success rates, and as a result showed that pig farm networks could use artificial insemination to improve productivity.

But there is still work to be done. Farmers should be trained by specialists to use sperm for inseminating pigs. Extracting coconut water for artificial insemination also requires farmers to use effective sterilization methods, the researchers noted. RUFORUM has established Uganda’s first pig farming association to facilitate training for farmers.

Researchers hope that using coconut water can help other farmers across Africa artificially inseminate pigs and increase pork production. This could help combat food production problems caused by overpopulation and climate change. [3]

References:

1. https://techsardar.com/step-apart-hipsters-scientists-want-your-coconut-water-to-artificially-inseminate-pigs/
2. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-coconut-aids-artificial-insemination-pigs.html
3. https://sacramentotime.com/step-aside-hipsters-scientists-need-your-coconut-water-to-artificially-inseminate-pigs/37461/

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), Pigs’ Artificial Insemination can be Done Through Coconut Water, AnaTechMaz, pp.128