[Unpad Media Channel] Professor from the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at Universitas Padjadjaran, Prof. Rd. Siti Darodjah, said that the effort to improve animal husbandry productivity through the reproduction of biotechnology could be made in the fulfillment of society’s food needs. One technology that needs to be developed is spermatozoa separation or sperm sexing.
However, an important matter that needs to be conducted is the study and evaluation of its implementation among livestock farmers. Recently, frozen sexed semen has been sold in several locations, and its production results need to be studied to determine whether it is suitable or not. Do not let livestock farmers buy Y-chromosome spermatozoa for male needs; after birth, it is only known that it is an X-chromosome.
“Perhaps we need occasional feedback to what extent its success has been for the sperm separation,” said Prof. Siti during Satu Jam Berbincang Ilmu, which is held only by the Dean of Professors from Unpad, on Saturday (4/5/2024).
Prof. Siti said that breeding is a critical point in the development of beef cattle. Every partner, including researchers and academics, must work to conduct the biology of livestock reproduction, namely artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and sperm sexing.
Moreover, she explained that through sperm sexing technology or separation of X and Y chromosome spermatozoa, business actors/livestock farmers/practitioners could direct the proportion for the gender of the livestock population being raised based on the production needs. In addition, to fulfill the needs of female cattle in dairy cattle farming and the needs of male cattle in beef cattle farming.
“The result of implementing sperm sexing is that livestock productivity can be increased effectively and efficiently,” she said.
Therefore, she collaborates with livestock farmers or industry to study the success of gender determination of offspring born from separated sperm.
Recently, improvements in sperm separation methods have been made continuously to be more effective and efficient. Prof. Siti has also collaborated with some partners, including researchers and industry, to improve the effectiveness of sperm sexing.
“Thus, the industry sector of animal husbandry will get the expected result,” said Prof. Siti.
To target small-scale livestock farmers, Prof. Siti and her team also modify research devices to be more affordable yet still effective in the process of artificial insemination, such as semen collection devices, speculums for estrus detection, and vaginal sponges containing progesterone hormone. In the future, she and her team will continue to find simple methods for sperm sexing.
“For sperm sexing, I want to find simpler methods,” she said. (arm/SA)*
