Boar Semen Shipping for Artificial Insemination: Current Status and Analysis of Transport Conditions with a Major Focus on Vibration Emissions

Abstract

In the modern pig reproduction system, artificial insemination (AI) doses are delivered from AI centers to sow farms via logistics vehicles. In this study, six breeding companies in three countries (Brazil, Germany, and the USA) were interviewed about their delivery process. It was found that there is currently no comprehensive monitoring system for the delivery of semen. The entire process “shipping of boar semen” was documented using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). Although it is not currently known which vibrations occur at all, it is suspected that vibration emissions affect the quality of boar semen. For this reason, a prototype of a measuring system was developed to calculate a displacement index (Di), representing vibration intensities. Vibrations were analyzed in standardized road trials (n = 120) on several road types (A: smooth asphalt pavement, B: rough asphalt pavement, C: cobblestone, and D: dirt road) with different speeds (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 km/h). A two-way ANOVA showed significant differences in mean Di, depending on road surface and speed as well as an interaction of both factors (p < 0.001). A field study on a reference delivery from a German AI center to several sow farms indicated that 33% of the observed roads are in good quality and generate only a few vibrations (Di ≤ 1), while 40% are of a moderate quality with interrupted surfaces (Di = 1–1.5). However, 25% of the roads show markedly increased vibrations (Di ≥ 1.5), as a consequence of bad conditions on cobblestones or unpaved roads. Overall, more attention should be paid to factors affecting sperm quality during transport. In the future, an Internet of Things (IoT) based solution could enable complete monitoring of the entire transport process in real time, which could influence the courier’s driving behavior based on road conditions in order to maintain the quality of the transported AI doses.