Bovine sexed semen production and utilization

Abstract

It has been 30 years since the first publication describing the birth of live offspring resulting from sexed mammalian sperm and ~ another 15 years have passed since the technology first became commercially available to cattle producers. Significant research investments on flow cytometry engineering and sperm biology ensured continuous improvements of the technology and current processing methods now allow producers access to SexedULTRATM, sexed semen with 90% gender purity and fertility comparable to that obtained with conventional semen. Sexed semen is a product now offered by all major bovine genetic companies around the world and is an important tool in capturing additional genetic gain through its strategic use in breeding programs. Current state of the art in the fundamentals of sperm sex sorting, the biology of the process, industrial production and field results are described in this review.