Outline: NCERA

NCERA_OLD057: Swine Reproductive Physiology

Duration:: October 01, 2004 to September 30, 2009
Administrative Advisor(s):: John Baker (MICL) - Research
NIFA Reps:: Deb Hamernik

Statement of Issue(s) and Justification:

Production agriculture continues to be of vital importance to stability of the overall US economy. If livestock producers are to maintain and improve the current level of competitiveness in the global market, it is essential that the efficiency of animal production continue to improve. Reproductive success remains the core to enhancing the efficiency and profitability of livestock production. The efficiency of pork production has increased due to developments in reproductive management including reduced age at puberty, increased utilization of AI, improved litter size and marked improvements in producers understanding of environmental and genetic effects on reproduction. However many aspects of the reproductive processes of swine remain poorly understood and this limits the development of technologies for still more efficient pork production. Research conducted by the NCR-57 committee members has made major contributions to our basic understanding of many biological processes in reproduction and provided technical information to improve efficiency of pork production. Goals of the NCR-57 are consistent with the priorty reseach objective of NCRA to develop improved animal production systems that are competitive, profitable and environmentally sound.

Emerging and rapidly growing technologies in functional genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics provide techniques that allow rapid investigation of the many biological processes. Application of these technologies will be essential to enhance our ability to control and manipulate reproductive processes in farm animals. Although technology provides the methodology to discover genes and gene products involved with reproduction, a complete understanding of protein function and the many possible interactions of proteins involved will remain an even greater task. A thorough understanding of gene regulation and gene products (functional genomics) in complex reproductive processes is essential if we are to develop technologies beneficial to agriculture producers, which is directly tied to the NCRA priority research objective for Genetic Resources Development and Manipulation.

The NCR-57 committee comprises a diverse group of research and extension scientists with expertise across a broad spectrum of reproductive biology in domestic food animals. Members of the NCR-57 committee have had major impacts on understanding of reproductive biology in swine and other domestic farm species. NCR-57 provides a unique focal point for scientific exchange and critique, presentation of new theories and results of experiments, and establishment of collaborative efforts between participating stations. Continuing advancements and increased cost in science and technology, makes the forum that NCR-57 provides even more essential for developing collaboration, sharing reagents, techniques and providing a forum for open scientific discussion in the future.

Besides the development of new knowledge,the NCR-57 has been strengthened by meeting with state swine reproduction extension specialists and others in positions that provide direct interfacing with producer and consumer groups. Extension scientists provide NCR-57 with a unique opportunity to have input concerning reproductive problems facing producers and to aid in the transfer of new technology to the animal industry. The NCR-57 committee has invited industry leaders to its annual meeting and sponsors a biennial conference on topics concerning reproductive efficiency for the swine industry. A website, which will be located at Madison, Wisconsin, is in development and will be linked to NIMSS website to provide open access to conference slide presentations and technical information of interest for educators and producers.

The diverse membership and interactions of the NCR-57 committee functions to keep committee members informed about the latest theories and technological advances. Sharing of resources, reagents, techniques and informal critiques of ideas and research has increased the efficiency of cooperative research and expanded the abilities of individual research stations. Addition of a forum for interactions with extension scientists has brought new perspectives to the NCR-57 and provides an opportunity for rapid technology transfer to increase reproductive efficiency for producers across the United States.

Objectives

Exchange information, coordinate research and identify areas for collaborative studies of the fundamental biological mechanisms involved with regulation of initiation of puberty and postpartum cyclicity, ovarian folliculogenesis, gametogenesis, fertilization, uterine morphogenesis, establishment of pregnancy, conceptus growth and development, and embryo-fetal survival.
Discuss research protocols and methodology to improve gamete preservation, sperm and embryo sexing, semen quality, sire fertility, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, manipulation of the estrous cycle, and embryo-fetal survival.
Provide unique mechanisms for open scientific exchange and dialogue to advance research initiatives of participating scientists, and exchange of information and techniques that enhance teaching and technology through the cooperative extension service, higher education and the livestock industry.
Establish a biennial conference on topics of interest to educators, extension scientists and reproductive physiologists involved with the swine industry.

Procedures and Activities

Expected Outcomes and Impacts:

NCR-57 provides a forum for communication and scientific inquiry for research and extension reproductive biologists on swine and other domestic food animals. Current research findings and industry related problems will be discussed. Cooperative research projects involving multiple research stations in areas of common interest will be established. Sharing of ongoing research and methodology will be facilitated by providing each committee member a CD-rom containing Proceedings of the NCR-57 Committee Meeting with research reports from each participating station. Exchange of information and technology increases the efficiency of research at the participating states institutions.
In the next five years, the committee members will focus efforts on improving methodology and increasing knowledge to increase efficiency of gamete preservation, sperm and embryo sexing, semen quality, sire fertility, AI, in vitro fertilization, manipulation of the estrous cycle and embryo-fetal survival. Development of techniques and methods to improve fertility and reproductive efficiency are transferred to the producers through the NCR-57 website, extension personnel and the biennial conference. Annual meeting provides interaction among its members to utilize the most effective experimental designs and research techniques to answer research questions that can be documented through publication of research results in the annual proceedings and list of publications placed on NCR-57 website. NCR-57 will provide expertise for assistance to incorporate techniques of functional genomics and proteomics to identify genes and gene products involved with reproductive processes among it members. In addition to increasing our understanding of factors involved with reproduction, identification of genes involved with the various reproductive processes will contribute information to the national genomic database in farm animals and assists with the discovery of selection markers for reproductive efficiency.
Inclusion of extension reproductive biologists in NCR-57 will enhanced the committees ability to provide stakeholders rapid transfer of technology and knowledge related to reproductive management. Extension scientists provide insight into commercial production problems that can be discussed with the broad knowledge and expertise of the NCR-57 committee members. Annual meeting also provides informal exchange of educational material for its members and links on the NCR-57 website for outside distribution to teachers, extension personnel and producers.
A biennial conference that addresses critical issues concerning animal reproductive efficiency and education of students and extension clientele will be provided at our annual meeting. Information from the topics presented at the conference will be placed on the NCR-57 website for distribution to educators, extension personnel and producers. In addition, state representatives of the animal industry will be invited to attend and contribute questions and suggestions during the conference.

Project Participation:

Include a completed Appendix E form

Educational Plan:

Stakeholders (industry leaders) will continue to be invited to attend the annual meeting and participate in the biennial conferences sponsored by the NCR-57 committee. The annual meeting provides contact with various leaders of the host states animal industry. A highlight is the biennial conference that is organized to address current issues concerning education and animal reproductive efficiency. In the next five years we will focus our efforts on developing a more complete understanding of gamete preservation, sperm and embryo sexing, semen quality, sire fertility, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, manipulation of the estrous cycle, uterine morphogenesis and embryo-fetal growth and survival to improve protocols and technology for increasing reproductive efficiency in food animals. These are topics that are consistently identified as important to animal agriculture. The biennial conferences will address the problems encountered in producing and distributing boar semen, issues concerning the changing diversity of students within Animal Science departments as related to the workforce needs of the swine industry, and postpartum reproductive efficiency of sows. A website for the NCR-57 committee is being developed (located at Madison, Wisconsin)to present participants, research areas of expertise, objectives and provide links to educational materials and slides of conferences sponsored by NCR-57. In addition, the website will include educational links to pertinent resources on reproductive biology available from researchers, organizations and departments in biomedicine, animal science and veterinary medicine. The standing invitation to state swine reproduction extension scientists to the NCR-57 committee provides efficient technology and information transfer and provides the NCR-57 with feed back relevant to the concerns of pork producers.

Governance:

The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for a three-year term of service. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.

Literature Cited:

State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. 2003. NCRA Regional Manual: Guidelines for Multistate Research Activities. http://www.wisc.edu/ncra/regionalmanual

USDA. 2003. National Agricultural Statistics Service homepage. http://www.usda.gov.nass/

Rothschild, M.F. 1996. Genetics and reproduction in the pig. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 42:143-151.

Guo, J., D.M. Grieger and D.L. Davis. 1998. Uterine and ovarian responses to puberty induction and pregnancy in prepubertal gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 76:1463-1468.

Geisert, R.D. and R.A.M. Schmitt. 2001. Early embryonic survival in the pig: Can it be improved. J. Anim. Sci. 80:E54-E65. (www.asas.org/Vol80/80Esupp1TOC.htm)

Cardenas, H and W.F. Pope. 2001. Control of ovulation rate in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 80:E36-E46. (www.asas.org/Vol80/80Esupp1TOC.htm)

Flowers, W.L. 2001. Increasing fertilization rate of boars: Influence of number and quality of spermatozoa inseminated. J. Anim. Sci. 80:E47-E53. (www.asas.org/Vol80/80Esupp1TOC.htm)

Ford, S.P., K.A. Vonnahme and M.E. Wilson. 2001. Uterine capacity in the pig reflects a combination of uterine environment and conceptus genotype effects. J. Anim. Sci. 80:E66-E73. (www.asas.org/Vol80/80Esupp1TOC.htm)

Lay, Jr., D.C., R.L. Matteri, J.A. Carroll, T.J. Fangman and T.J. Safranski. 2001. Preweaning survival in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 80:E74-E86. (www.asas.org/Vol80/80Esupp1TOC.htm)

Dobrinsky J.R. 2001. Cryopreservation of swine embryos: A chilly past with a vitrifying future. Theriogenology 56:1333-1344.

Johnson, L.A., J.R. Dobrinsky, H.D. Guthrie and G.R. WELCH. 2000. Sex selection in swine: flow cytometric sorting: of X- and Y-chromosome bearing sperm to produce offspring. in swine. In Boar Semen Preservation IV. (Johnson, L. A. and Guthrie, H. D., eds.) Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS, pp107-114.

Johnson L.A., K.F. Weitze, P. Fiser and W.M.C. Maxwell. 2000. Storage of boar semen. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 62:143-172.

Attachments:

[NRC-57_COLLABORATIONS.doc]

Internal Linkages:

External Linkages:

Signatures:

s:/John Baker

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