Artificial insemination technology for the emu--improving sperm survival.

For the emu, where monogamous mating is normal, artificial insemination (AI) promises much faster genetic improvement and a considerable reduction in production costs by reducing the number of male birds needed for mating. Semen collection is now a routine procedure so the next step is to develop successful protocols for sperm storage. In this paper, we briefly overview our recent progress on the development of protocols for liquid storage and cryopreservation of emu spermatozoa. We have shown that emu semen can be stored at 10 °C for up to 48 h with a minimal loss of viability, and that cryopreservation with dimethylacetamide (DMA) as a cryoprotectant is feasible because we have observed no adverse effects of this cryoprotectant on the emu sperm membrane integrity, morphology and motility. We now need to establish the predictability of the various tests in vivo, but the proportions of live normal and motile sperm with good egg membrane penetration potential suggest that acceptable numbers of competent sperm are preserved and that this will be sufficient for AI.