Percentage Of Fertilization Research Articles

Influence of dietary chitosan-oligosaccharides supplementation on productive and reproductive performance of laying hens

Abstract This experiment aimed to ascertain whether adding chitosan-oligosaccharides (COS) to the diet will affect Mandarah laying hens’ productivity and reproductive efficiency. At the age of 34 weeks, 120 laying hens and 12 cocks of the Mandarah chicken strain were separated into four groups, each consisting of 30 hens and three cocks. The 1st group served as a control group, receiving only a basic diet. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th experimental groups received 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 g/kg of chitosan-oligosaccharides as an addition to the base diet, respectively. According to the findings of this study, the majority of the analyzed attributes differed significantly between treatment groups. Comparing the COS-treated birds to the control birds, the COS-treated birds significantly increased egg production, improved feed conversion, Haugh unit score, shell thickness, fertility, hatchability, ovary weight, and the number of yellow ovarian follicles as well as blood estradiol-17β (E2) and testosterone concentrations. Furthermore, compared to the other treated groups, introducing COS at a level of 0.1 g/kg diet resulted in the best laying rate, egg mass, and feed conversion. The highest percentage of fertility, hatchability of hatching eggs, ovary weight, number of yellow ovarian follicles, and serum E2 concentration was also found in birds fed COS at a dose of 0.2 g/kg feed. In addition, compared to the control diet, COS treatment at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 g/kg enhanced relative economic efficiency by 464.43, 457.41, and 352.75%, respectively. It is concluded that chitosan improves economic efficiency, reproductive performance, productivity in laying hens, and overall health when used at 0.1 g/kg diet.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles preserve the quality and fertility potential of rooster sperm during the cryopreservation process.

Sperm cryopreservation is one of the main methods for preserving rooster sperm for artificial insemination (AI) in commercial flocks. Yet, rooster sperm is extremely susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the freezing process. Oxidative stress could be prevented by using nanoparticles containing antioxidants. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) in rooster semen freezing extender on quality parameters and fertility potential. For this aim, semen samples were collected and diluted in Lake extenders as follows: control: Lake without ZnONP, ZnO100: Lake with 100-μg zinc oxide (ZnO), ZnONP50: Lake with 50-μg ZnONP, ZnONP100: Lake with 100-μg ZnONP and ZnONP200: Lake with 200-μg ZnONP. After freezing and thawing, sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity, morphology, mitochondrial activity, acrosome integrity, DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation and ROS, as well as fertility and hatchability were assessed. According to the current results, higher rates of motility, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, acrosome integrity and live cells were detected in the ZnO100, ZnONP50 and ZnONP100 groups compared to other groups (p ≤ .05). Yet, the percentage of dead cells, DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation and ROS levels were lower in the mentioned groups (p ≤ .05). Furthermore, a higher percentage of fertility was observed in the ZnO100 and ZnONP100 groups than in the control group (p ≤ .05). In conclusion, the use of 100-μg ZnO and 50- to 100-μg ZnONP represents a valuable and safe additive material that could be used to improve the quality and fertility potential of rooster sperm under cryopreservation conditions.

Impact of enriched bio digested bone sludge compost on the fertility percentage of rice

Impact of enriched bio digested bone sludge compost on the fertility percentage of rice

Investigation into the Impacts of Varied Batches of Stripped Eggs on the Reproductive Success of Clarias gariepinus

This study was conducted at the hatchery complex of Akwa Ibom State University to investigate the effects of different batches of stripped egg on reproductive performances of Clarias gariepinus. Nine brood stocks of Clarias gariepinus (six males and 3 females) with average body weight of 2.3kg and 64.2 cm where carefully selected for the study. Six matured males were euthanized for the removal of testis without hormonal inducements. The milt collected from the six males were pooled together and divided into 12 portions each diluted with 2mL of normal saline solution. Three female brood stocks where separately induced with hormone at single dosage of 0.5ml/kg body weight and allowed for a period of 10 hours before stripping. Stripping of eggs from each brood stock where in four batches, each batch measured 50g and labeled A, B, C and D. 3g of eggs containing approximately 2000 oocytes (eggs) where measured out from each batch and mixed with the diluted milt and incubated in a 2 x 1 x 10cm3 of water in a concrete pond at temperature of 26oC in three replicates. The result revealed that the reproductive performances considered in this study decreased as the batches of stripped eggs increased from 1 ̶ 4 batches. The first batch of stripped eggs produced 87.69 ± 0.42, 97.06 ± 0.84, 84.29 ± 1.05 percentage fertilization, hatchability and survival rate respectively, while the least batch of stripped eggs (batch 4) produced the least value of fertilization 50.33 ± 1.67, 31.93 ± 4.94 hatchability and survival rate value of 42.69 ± 0.61. Therefore, from the above result, the least batch of stripped eggs should not be used for fertilization because the unhatched or dead eggs has a negative effect on the fertilized eggs including fry at the hatchery level.

Comparative Study of Inducing Broodstock with Natural and Artificial Hormones on Reproductive Performances of Clarias gariepinus

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of artificial and natural hormones (ovaprim and pituitary extract) on the reproductive performances of Clarias gariepinus (African catfish). A total of twenty brood stock, 12 males and 8 females with mean weight of 2.0 kg each were selected for breeding following the external morphological characteristics and standard breeding procedure. The water parameters for indoor culture tanks during the study were optimal for breeding: pH 7.31; temperature, 27.6˚C. Dissolved oxygen, 5.18 mg L-1. The result revealed no significant (P > 0.05) differences in water quality parameters between the culture tanks for artificial and natural hormonal applications during the study. The percentage fertilization, hatchability, survival and fry production success were: 89.23%, 93.31%, 87.16% and 69.41%; and 79.02%, 72.56%, 67.32% and 34.67% respectively, for pituitary extract and Ovaprim®. Pituitary extract recorded higher values and significantly performed better (P < 0.05) between the two treatments. This indicates that natural hormone (pituitary extract) is equally effective and therefore recommended for the artificial propagation of Clarias gariepinus.

Effect of Different Ages of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Broodstock on Reproductive Performance and Fries Production

This study was conducted at the hatchery complex of Akwa Ibom State University to investigate the effect of different ages of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) on their reproductive performances. Eighteen (18) broodstock of Clarias gariepinus (3 males and 3 females) from each age group, six months, twelve months and eighteen months old with average body measurement of 1.1kg and 32cm for six month, 1.8kg and 43cm for 12 months and 2.5 kg and 65.7cm for 18 months were selected from AKSU fish farm labeled treatment A, B and C for the study. 3 male broodstock from each treatment were sacrificed for milt extraction without hormonal inducement. The milt from each treatment were separately pooled into one volume and divided into three portions each diluted with 2ml of normal saline solution. Three female broodstock from each treatment were separately induced with ovaprim at a single dosage of 0.5ml/kg body weight of fish and allowed for a latency period of ten hours at water temperature of 26oC before stripping manually. 3g of egg from each broodstock was mixed with the diluted milt and activated with 100 mls of normal saline. The fertilized eggs were incubated in aerated indoor concrete tanks in 3 replicates. % fertilization were accessed six (6) hours after incubation, % hatchability was accessed twenty-six hours (26) after incubation, while the percentage survival and fry production success in each treatment was accessed after ten (10) days post hatching. The results reveal that the reproductive parameters considered in this study significantly (p<0.05) increased with age of broodstocks. The percentage fertilization of egg from the least to the oldest broodstock were 63.67± 0.88, 69.50 ± 0.87 and 81.83 ± 5.05 respectively. The percentage hatchability of the oldest broodstock was 82.62 ± 1.6 significantly (P< 0.05) higher than 64.79 ± 2.74 (12 months) with the least value of 49.04 ± 5.76 recorded for six-month-old broodstock. The oldest broodstock had the highest percentage survival 83.14 ± 3.16 and fry production success of 56.05± 0.06 while the least broodstock (6-month-old) had the least value of survival 54.59 ± 2.42 and fry production success of 17.17 ± 2.59%.

Influence of nitrogen substitution at an equivalent total nitrogen level on bacterial and fungal communities, as well as enzyme activities of the ditch bottom soil in a rice-fish coculture system.

Rice-fish coculture system (RFS) operates through effectively utilizing water and land resources in a complementary form, but it requires more efficient utilization of fertilizer and feed without compromising rice yield. However, the knowledge of how to regulate the proportion of nitrogen (N) supplied from fertilizer and feed at an equivalent total N levelto improve the benefits of RFS remains limited. Therefore, four treatments (S0: RFS with 0% N fromfertilizer and 100% N from feed; S25: RFS with 25% N from fertilizer and 75% N from feed; S50: RFS with 50% N from fertilizer and 50% N from feed; S75: RFS with 75% N from fertilizer and 25% N from feed) were conducted to assess the variation of ditch bottom soil properties, microbial communities and enzyme activities, as well as to obtain the optimal ratio of N supplied from fish feed and fertilizer. The experiments showed that the contents of soil organic matter, total carbon and total N, and the activities of urease, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, protease, β-1,4-glucosidase and catalase in the ditch bottom soil significantly reduced in S25 treatment, compared with the other three treatments. Ammonium N content decreased with increasing percentage of the basal fertilizer, whereas nitrate N content and pH value showed an adverse trend. However, the bacterial and fungal communities were unaffected by the ratio shifts between fertilizer-N and feed-N, but their dominant phyla were influenced by the ditch bottom soil N level. Moreover, the bacterial community composition was positively related to nitrate N, whereas fungal diversity was positively correlated with pH, ammonium N and nitrate N, and urease. We also found that the treatment of N input with 25% N from fertilizer and 75% N from feed can reduce N deposition in the ditch bottom soil in the rice-fish coculture system. Our findings indicate that under the equivalent total N input level, the relative higher ratio of N from fish feed increased (S0 treatment) or reduced (S25 treatment) the deposition of N in the ditch bottom soil, and improved fish production, but decreased rice yield; while the higher ratio of N from basal fertilizer increased the transportation of nutrients into the ditch bottom soil and rice yield, but reduced fish production. So when considering multi-balance and multiple benefits, we recommend that a selective substitution ratio within 50% ~ 75% from fish feed to substitute for the basal fertilizer under the equivalent total N input may achieve a good balance of rice and fish production improvement, and reduce nutrients wastage to the ditch bottom, as well as alleviate the potential of non-point source pollution. This study also provides an evidence for regulating and optimizing the ratio of N supplied from fertilizer and fish feed at an equivalent total N level through monitoring the nutrient accumulation in ditch bottom soil in the rice-fish coculture system. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Growth performance and reproductive qualities of breeder snails (Archachatina marginata) fed different sources of protein

This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different protein sources on the growth and reproductive performances of breeder snails, as protein sources are the main requirement for fast growth and development of cells for reproduction. Soya bean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM), and groundnut cake (GNC) were fed to the breeder snails. The snails were eight (8) months old with an initial average weight of 98.93g, and the experiment lasted for 12 weeks. Sixty (60) Archachatina marginata breeder snails were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups of fifteen (15) snails per treatment which were replicated three (3) times in each of the groups. The parameters examined were growth performance, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and reproductive characteristics. Data collected were analyzed by the use of a one-way analysis of variance and significant means were separated with the Duncan Multiple Ranged Test at a 5% level of probability using SAS, 2011 [10]. The study revealed that soya bean meal (SBM) supports higher final body weight, body weight gain, and percentage fertility, while soya bean meal and cottonseed meal had higher percentage hatchability. However, no significant (P>0.05) differences were recorded in the final shell circumference, shell circumference gain, final shell length, and shell length gain. It was concluded that compounded feed with soya bean meal as the main protein source abetted fast growth and better productive performance.

Effects of repeated embryo flushing without PGF2α administration on luteal function, percentage of unwanted pregnancy and subsequent fertility in mares.

PGF2α is commonly given at the end of embryo flushing (EF) to shorten the interval to the next oestrus and ovulation. To determine the effect of repeated EF on plasma progesterone concentration, percentage of mares with endometritis, unwanted pregnancy and subsequent fertility in mares flushed without the use of PGF2α. Controlled experiments. Nine mares were inseminated in seven consecutive cycles (n = 63), to either perform an EF (n = 54) 7-9 days after ovulation or left pregnant (n = 9). PGF2α was not used to induce oestrus. Ultrasound examination and blood sampling were performed just before the EF and 72 h later to determine changes in progesterone concentration and signs of endometritis. The overall percentage of positive EF/pregnancy was 55.5% (30/54) and 66.7% (6/9), respectively. The likelihood of pregnancy/positive EF in the first three cycles was 55.5% (15/29). This was not different (p > 0.1) from the fertility of the last four cycles (69.4%, 25/36). In five EF cycles (9.3%), mares had signs of endometritis and early luteolysis (progesterone <2 ng/mL) 72 h after EF. The reduction in progesterone concentration by 72 h after EF was greater (p < 0.05) for Day 9 (-2.3 ± 0.7 ng/mL) than Day 7 (-1.0 ± 0.8 ng/mL) or Day 8 (-1.3 ± 1.1 ng/mL) cycles. The progesterone concentration in non-flushed mares did not vary significantly during the sampled period (Day 7-12). There were 5 cycles in which the donor mare remained pregnant after the EF, although four were from a single mare. The mare population was limited to barren and maiden mares. The cycle order and operator allocation to each EF were not randomised. EF induces a subtle, but significant reduction in progesterone concentrations compared with non-EF cycles. However, the percentage of mares with EF-induced full luteolysis is low (9.3%). The fertility of mares after repeated EF without administration of PGF2α was unaffected; however, there is a considerable risk of unwanted pregnancy (5/27 = 18.5%) in donors from which an embryo was not recovered.

Exogenous application of nano-silicon, potassium sulfate, or proline enhances physiological parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, and agronomic traits of diverse rice genotypes under water deficit conditions

Water deficit is a critical obstacle that devastatingly impacts rice production, particularly in arid regions under current climatic fluctuations. Accordingly, it is decisive to reinforce the drought tolerance of rice by employing sustainable approaches to enhance global food security. The present study aimed at exploring the effect of exogenous application using different biostimulants on physiological, morphological, and yield attributes of diverse rice genotypes under water deficit and well-watered conditions in 2-year field trial. Three diverse rice genotypes (IRAT-112, Giza-178, and IR-64) were evaluated under well-watered (14400 m3/ha in total for the entire season) and water deficit (9170 m3/ha) conditions and were exogenously sprayed by nano-silicon, potassium sulfate, or proline. The results showed that drought stress substantially decreased all studied photosynthetic pigments, growth traits, and yield attributes compared to well-watered conditions. In contrast, antioxidant enzyme activities and osmoprotectants were considerably increased compared with those under well-watered conditions. However, the foliar application of nano-silicon, potassium sulfate, and proline substantially mitigated the deleterious effects of drought stress and markedly enhanced photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzyme activities, growth parameters, and yield contributing traits compared to untreated stressed control. Among the assessed treatments, foliar spray with nano-silicon or proline was more effective in promoting drought tolerance. The exogenous application of proline improved chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids by 21.4, 19.6 and 21.0% followed by nano-silicon treatment, which enhanced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids by 21.1, 17.6 and 9.5% compared to untreated control. Besides, the application of proline demonstrated a superior improvement in the content of proline by 52.5% compared with the untreated control. Moreover, nano-silicon exhibited the maximum enhancement of catalase and peroxidase activity compared to the other treatments. The positive impacts of applied exogenously nano-silicon or proline significantly increased panicle length, number of panicles/plant, number of grains/panicle, fertility percentage, 1000-grain weight, panicle weight, and grain yield, compared to untreated plants under water deficit conditions. In addition, the physiological and agronomic performance of evaluated rice genotypes significantly contrasted under drought conditions. The genotype Giza-178 displayed the best performance under water deficit conditions compared with the other genotypes. Consequently, the integration of applied exogenously nano-silicon or proline with tolerant rice genotype as Giza-178 is an efficient approach to ameliorating drought tolerance and achieving agricultural sustainability under water-scarce conditions in arid environments.

Effect of different exposure time of papain on adhesion and some reproductive indices of &lt;i&gt;Clarias gariepinus&lt;/i&gt; (Burchell, 1822) eggs under semi-arid environment of Sokoto, north-western, Nigeria

Egg adhesiveness can cause major problems affecting the hatchability of Clarias gariepinus. However, appropriate media for de-adhesion in Catfish eggs is not yet well established. In this study, the effect of the anti-adhesion properties of Papain enzyme (extracted from pawpaw fruit peel) on Clarias eggs was investigated in terms of non-stickiness of eggs, fertilization rates hatchability and fry survival. Milt and eggs obtained from African Catfish broodstock of the same lineage were used for induced breeding following standard procedure. 4g of eggs were subjected to four (4) different exposure times of Papain – 30, 60, 120 and 300 seconds – and compared against a control. Treatment efficacy was assessed by comparing the percentage of non-sticky eggs, fertilization, hatching and survival rate in the treatments and control. Exposure time of 30 seconds was found to be most effective in preventing adhesiveness in the eggs. Also, eggs subjected to 30, 120 and 300 seconds of papain exposure had the best hatchability (50.58±1.84, 53.91±4.53, 59.21±2.97). Survival rate was similar among the treatments and control, except for exposure time of 300 (81.66±7.15) seconds with significantly lower survival rate. For effective hatchability and survival of Clarias gariepinus eggs, exposure to papain at 120 seconds is recommended.

Effects of varying dietary microalgae levels on performance, egg quality, fertility, and blood biochemical parameters of laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica)

This experiment was carried out to investigate the nutritional value of Spirulina and Dunaliella (SD) combination levels (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/kg) that affected the laying Japanese quail's efficiency, egg quality, fertility, and blood biological indicators. A total of 150 adult Japanese quails, aged eight weeks, were divided into five treatments at random, each consisting of 30 quails. There were five duplicates for every treatment, with two male and four female quails in each. Comparing the addition of various concentrations of a mixture of SD to the control treatment, the results showed no substantial rise in egg production, egg weight, or egg mass. When compared to the control group, final body weight (FBW) was improved with SD supplementation. The quails in control consumed more feed intake (FI) (p < 0.05), and they were different from the groups who got SD therapy in that they had a regular feed conversion ratio (FCR). The percentages of hatchability and fertility increased when SD was added to quail meals at up to 1.00 g/kg. When compared to the control quail, the quail supplemented with SD levels showed a non-significant rise in albumin%, yolk%, Haugh unit, and unit surface shell weight (USSW), as well as an increase in eggshell percentage and a drop in egg shape index (p < 0.05). Renal and hepatic enzyme functioning improved when SD was added to the diets. Additionally, lipid profile indicators were reduced by SD supplementation (except low-density lipoprotein-LDL). Moreover, compared to the control, incorporating SD led to a non-significant rise in immunoglobulin concentrations (IgG and IgM). In conclusion, adding SD to the diet can improve body weight, lipid profile, immunological response, and liver and kidney functions in Japanese quail.

Arabic Chicken from Marriage with Artificial Insemination (IB) Using a Manual Hatching Machine On Fertility And Hatchability

Arab Chicken Marriage with Artificial Insemination (IB) Using Manual Incubator on Fertility and Hatchability. This study aims to determine the level of fertility and hatchability of Arabic chicken mating with artificial insemination in a manual incubator. This research was carried out at Mr. Saiful Karang Rejo's farm, Tulung Agung, from September 15 to October 15, 2022. The number of eggs used were 72 eggs from Arab chicken mating with a male to female ratio of 50: 500. The chickens are housed individually, the feed given is a mixture of corn, bran, and concentrate. IB is carried out 3 times a week, semen collection is carried out by massage (sequence) and accommodated in a glass then IB is carried out on Arab females. Using Chi Square analysis, then followed by a contingency test (a condition filled with uncertainty between fertile or not, the effect of fertility expectations) , Correlation (the relationship between two variables that are quantitative) and Regression (influence between 2 or more variables). The parameters observed included fertility and egg hatchability. From the results of the study, the following conclusions were obtained: the highest percentage of fertility was obtained in stages 1 and 2 with a value of 73.61%, while the lowest percentage was at stage 3 with a value of 66.66%. Meanwhile, the highest hatchability percentage was at stage 1 with a value of 83.01%, and the lowest percentage was at stage 3 with a value of 79.16%. Cleanliness in the chicken semen reservoir and egg selection, such as the cleanliness of egg shells, eggs that are too small or too large need to be considered. The temperature and humidity of the incubator must be constant to avoid embryo death and hatching failure.

Combining Ability Studies of Promising Restorer Lines for Yield and Yield Components in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Background: The present inquisition was carried out at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru with a set of 30 experimental hybrids developed by crossing three male sterile lines with 10 testers in Line ´ Tester mating design during Kharif, 2022. Methods:The resultant 30 hybrids were studied in randomized block design with two replications along with the parents and hybrid check, HRI-174 during Rabi, 2022-23. Predominant non-additive gene action was found in the analysis of combining ability for lines, testers and line testers for grain production per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, ear bearing tillers per plant, filled grains per panicle and 1000-grain weight. Result:The results revealed RGL 5613 and MTU 2055 to be effective combiners for grain yield per plant, filled grains per panicle, spikelet fertility percentage and grain weight of one thousand grains. For five hybrids, the sca effects on grain yield per plant were large and favourable. These hybrids had recorded significantly higher grain yield perplant, more than 30 per cent, compared to the check, HRI-174, in addition to significant desirable sca effects for grain yield per plant.

INFLUENCE OF PARATYPIC FACTORS ON THE FERTILITY OF DAIRY COWS AND REPLACEMENT HEIFERS

The results of researching the influence of the season, air temperature, age, stage of lactation, insemination number and daily milk yield on the fertilization of heifers and cows under different housing technologies are presented. It was established that the best fertilization was demonstrated by heifers kept in tethered housing at PE Agroprogres. Nevertheless, the fertilization rate of cows among the farms under study was the highest under free housing (p&lt;0.001). By months of the year, in general, on all farms, a trend of a greater number of inseminations of heifers was observed in spring and summer, although no clear dependence was established. The share of fertile inseminations of heifers of PE Agroprogress varied from 56% in October to 92% in June. Fertilization of heifers at SE EFs named after Dekabrists and Kutuzivka had less variability: from 47% in February to 70% in May in the first farm and from 46% in May to 60% in July in the second farm, respectively. At PE Agroprogres and SE EF named after Dekabrists, there was a tendency to increase the fertilization of heifers at the air temperature above 20 ºС. Cows of PE Agroprogres and SE EF named after Dekabrists had the lowest fertilization rate at temperatures below -10 ºC. There was also a trend of its increase with an increase in air temperature above 20 ºC. It was established that at PE Agroprogres (tethered housing) a clear trend of increasing the fertility of cows was observed during the period of summer open air housing, at SE RF named after Dekabrists this trend is almost imperceptible, and the opposite dependence has been established at SE EF Kutuzivka (year-round free housing keeping with feeding on walking platforms). At all studied farms, there was a clear tendency in decrease of the fertilization of cows during the period of high milk productivity. Cows of PE Agroprogres and SE EF Kutuzivka with a daily milk yield of more than 40 kg of milk were fertilized worse by 1-4% (р&lt;0.1) and 5-6% (р&lt;0.001) than animals with a lower milk yield. Cows of the SE EF named after Dekabrists with a daily milk yield of more than 30 kg also had 8-9% (p&lt;0.001) worse fertilization compared to animals with lower productivity. At all studied farms, the highest percentage of fertilization was characterized by heifers at their first insemination, and among cows were animals of the first and second calving. According to all inseminations, the average day of lactation of cows with their artificial insemination was 38-54 days longer at SE EF named after Dekabrists in comparison with PE Agroprogres and SE EF Kutuzivka (p&lt;0.001). The share of fertilized cows during the breeding period up to 90 days after calving was lower by 6% At PE Agroprogres, and by 9% at SE EF named after Dekabrists, and by 6% at SE EF Kutuzivka than in the mid-lactation period (91-180 days) (р&lt;0.001).

Therapeutic Efficacy of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp) Root as Growth and Profertility Agent on the Reproductive Indices of Clarias gariepinus Broodstock

The nutritional composition and dietary effects of medicinal plants on aquatic animals have been ascertained through the improvement of the sexual performance of the fish leading to the production of improved egg quality and enhancing the fertility of sperm. The study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Maca Root Meal (MRM) on the growth and pro-fertility agent of C. gariepinus broodstock. Eighty C. gariepinus (400±0.01g) were used for the experiment. They were fed 5 compounded diets at different inclusion levels (0.0, 12.5, 25, 37.5 and 50%) and denoted as MRM1 – MRM5 respectively of 40% crude protein at 3% body weight with 8 fish (4 males and 4 females) per treatment, replicate twice for 56 days. Measurements were taken on growth performance and reproductive indices at the end of feeding trials. The results showed that body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and production productive index were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in MRM 4 compared to the control and other treated groups. The reproductive indices such as milt volume, motility duration, sperm counts, the weight of ovary, relative fecundity, hatchability and percentage fertilization were significant higher (P&lt;0.05) in the treated groups when compared to the control. MRM5 recorded higher hatchability and percentage fertilization of 81.78 and 84.27% compared to the control of 62.11 and 71.53% respectively and there was a significant difference (P&lt;0.05) among the dietary groups. Conclusively, the study revealed the therapeutic potential of maca root as growth and pro-fertility agent and that inclusion of 50% maca root meal in the diet of C. gariepinus broodstock could increase weight gain and better reproductive indices in male and female C. gariepinus broodstock.

Post-mortem Fertilizing Capacity of Spermatozoid Chirostoma jordani (Atheriniformes: Atherinopsidae)

Post-mortem fertilization is considered a technique in which semen is extracted from a dead male to fertilize the egg of a living female. Therefore, this technique can be an excellent option in the face of the loss of biodiversity of multiple animal species. The objective of this research is to implement post-mortem assisted reproduction in the charal, Chirostoma jordani, which is a species of economic, biological and cultural importance in Mexico. Mature males were obtained from commercial capture Atlangatepec Dam, Tlaxcala, Mexico. The mature males were sacrificed and divided into three groups: 1) room temperature 18±1°C, 2) ice 5±1°C and 3) refrigeration 11±1°C. The variables evaluated were: percentage (s), duration of motility (%), and fertilization rate (%) at zero, two, four, six, eight and ten hours in quadruplicate, respectively. The results indicate that sperm viability decreased over time; at room temperature it lasted six hours; in ice and refrigeration 10, denoting significant differences (P&lt;0.05). Semen from organisms preserved in ice and refrigeration presented the best fertilization percentages at two and four hours (&gt;90 and ~80%, respectively) (P&lt;0.05). For practical purposes, it was demonstrated that semen from post-mortem organisms can be used to develop conservation practices.

Effects of Glycitein Injections on Native Chickens’ Ability to Reproduce, Sex Ratio in Offspring

The aim of this study was to improve the reproductive ability of native Iraqi chickens with the use of glycitein. The Studie was conducted on a of 120 Iraqi native chickens, consisting of 100 hens and 20 roosters. The chickens were 26 weeks old at the time of the study. The chickens were divided into four treatment groups, with each group consisting of 25 chicks. The experimental design consisted of four groups: the first group served as the non-injection control (referred to as T1), while the remaining groups (T2, T3, and T4) were treated with injections of glycitein at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg body weight, respectively. These injections were given subcutaneously in the neck region, with a frequency of once every 28 days across a span of three periods. Subsequently, an examination was conducted on the percentages of fertility and hatchability, as well as the primary and secondary sex ratios pertaining to female subjects. The results of the study showed that the use of glycitein injection had a beneficial impact on fertility, hatching, as well as primary and secondary sex ratios. Therefore, it can be concluded that the impact of glycitein yields a favourable outcome on both the primary and secondary sexual ratios.

Replacing Part of the Mineral Fertilizer by using Organic and Biological Fertilizers in the Sunflower

A field experiment was conducted in one of the fields of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad - Jadriya during the spring season of 2022, with the aim of assessing the possibility of replacing chemical fertilizers with organic and biological fertilizers as an alternative for a portion of the chemical fertilizers and their impact on the yield and quality of sunflower seeds. Randomized Complete Bock Design (RCBD) with three replications was used, using split plot arrangement. The main plots included four fertilizer treatments: (100% mineral fertilizers (recommended), 50% recommended mineral fertilizers + organic fertilizer represented by Trichoderma harzianum fungus and Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria, 50% recommended mineral fertilizers + organic fertilizer represented by Trichoderma harzianum fungus and Azotobacter chroccocum bacteria, and 50% recommended mineral fertilizers + organic fertilizer represented by Orgevit poultry waste supplemented with macro and micronutrients). The sub-plots included three cultivars (Ishaqi1, Flami, and Lilo). The results showed that the Ishaqi1 cultivar outperformed and gave the highest fertility percentage (75.22%) and number of seeds per head (757.78 seeds head -1), and weight of 300 seeds (15.80 grams) and a total seed yield (2.942 tons ha-1), and an oil content percentage of 41.00%. On the other hand, the Flami cultivar excelled in the percentage of filling (47.115%). The fertilizer treatment of 50% recommended mineral fertilizers + organic fertilizer represented by (Trichoderma harzianum fungus and Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria) showed superiority in fertility percentage (79.69%), number of seeds per head (771.20 seeds head -1), filling percentage (47.397%), total seed yield (3.041 tons ha-1), and oil content percentage (42.17%).

The relationship between eggshell color, hatching traits, fertility, mortality, and some qualitative aspects of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs

Quail, one of the most important sources of meat and eggs, can aid in the reduction of the meat crisis if they are raised and cared for by small farmers. The current study investigated the impact of eggshell color variety on egg quality traits and hatching parameters of Japanese quail Coturnix japonica eggs. Therefore, 1,075 eggs were collected from female quails when they were 10-wk old. These eggs were distributed based on the color of their eggshells into 5 different classifications: eggshell with color type 1, very dark distributed brown spots on brown eggshell; eggshell with color type 2, small black spots on a white eggshell; eggshell with color type 3, widespread brown spots on brown eggshell; eggshell with color type 4, bubble egg, pin dotted on grayish brown color eggshell; and eggshell with color type 5, small brown spots on very clearly white eggshell. The characteristics of hatchability, internal and external egg quality, and the rate of embryonic death were then determined. The results showed that the percentage of fertility and commercial and scientific hatchability was greatly affected by eggshell color. There were also variations in the percentage of hatched chicks', early mortality rates, and late mortality rates based on eggshell color. According to the results of the current study, eggshell color has a significant impact on egg weight, egg width, and percentages of eggshell, yolk, and albumen but has no effect on shape index, egg length, or egg elongation. Based on the results, eggshells with color types 2 and 3 were recommended for use in hatching procedures due to their high levels of fertility (92.01 and 91.63%, respectively), scientific hatchability (82.92 and 83.93%, respectively), commercial hatchability (76.56 and 77.32%, respectively), and hatched chick (5.50 and 6.70, respectively). In addition, the late embryonic mortality rate was 0.00% for eggshells with color type 3. Therefore, the color of the eggshell can be employed as a key factor in guiding the eggs that are produced, whether they are going to be consumed at the table or used for hatching, to make breeding easier.