April 12, 2007

Plant growth regulators not harmful to hog fertility
 

Plant growth regulators do not harm sow or boar fertility when added to their feed, according to Danish researchers from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF), University of Aarhus.

No evidence has been found to suggest that the plant growth regulator chlormequat, or CCC, negatively affects pig reproduction, said senior scientist Martin Tang Sorensen.

Working with Copenhagen University Hospital and the Technical University of Denmark, DJF researchers conducted the experiment on boars and sows.

By giving the sows CCC-enriched feed immediately after insemination, the resulting boars were exposed to CCC from the foetal stage until the end of the experiment. Their CCC intake was set at the maximum permitted level for humans.

Neither a deterioration in boar semen quality nor break down in sow health was observed compared with the control group.