Promotion and wider adoption of cryo storage and artificial insemination technologies can be used to conserve the diversity of species in Taiwan, the Livestock Research Institute said yesterday.
Officials at the institute made the remarks at a news conference in Tainan to introduce new breeds of genetically modified duck and chicken, as well as a litter of Lanyu pigs, which have been born using sperm that have been in cryo storage since 2005.
The Lanyu pig, a species endemic to Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), has phenotypic characteristics that are distinctive from other swine breeds in Asia and Europe, institute director Huang Chen-fang (黃振芳) said.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
The use of advanced equipment and software have greatly enhanced the preservation process and quality of sperm after coming out of cryo storage, he said.
The Lanyu pig sperm taken in 2005 was part of a project to preserve all unique indigenous species, Huang said.
Research has shown that cryo storage of an animal sperm specimen can, if used on a broader scale, help preserve biodiversity, he added.
A new breed of duck, a result of 14 generations of genetic modifications, can be artificially inseminated every six days, which could greatly reduce the breeding costs of duck raisers, he said.
Assuming that an owner keeps 300,000 genetically modified ducks, they would be able to reduce their annual artificial insemination costs by half, he added.
The institute also presented a new breed of chicken, which is based on a breed of cocks traditionally used for cockfighting, Huang said.
Roosters or hen produced from the new breed can be used for breeding or as food, he said.
Genetic modifications can greatly increase the economic value of these avian species, he said, adding that once the institute has come up with a formal name, the new breed could become a favorite on the market.
The institute has received awards from the Council of Agriculture for its research efforts, Huang said.
Its Hsinchu County branch management team for dairy cows have also received an award for excellence, he added.
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