A Scottish company is touting what it is calling a first-of-its-kind technology using artificial intelligence to improve conception rates in cattle..According to Edinburgh-based Dyneval, its portable proprietary scanner measures semen motility using portable equipment, with results available within minutes. This in turn allows for better and more reliable timing — and higher success rates — for insemination of cows..The development is important to cattle farmers, because high conception rates translate into lower costs and higher profitability. According to Grand View market research firm, the veterinary insemination market was worth about US$7 billion in 2022 and growing at an annual compounded growth rate of about 7%.. Insemination marketThe veterinarian artificial insemination market is worth over US$7 billion. .A single bull sample can sell for as much as $50,000 and higher at auctions for prized breeds..Farmers naturally want to know that they’re getting their money’s worth. Which is why the AI actuated tech can also pinpoint the strongest swimmers, and preliminary sex selection, allowing for healthier offspring..Livestock conception rates have fallen by 20% over the past 40 years which the company says costs the average farmer about $100,000 per year. Current methods generate substantial errors and are unable to cater for fresh or sex selected semen concentrations..Across the industry, there is presently no quality control standards for vets, farmers or AI technicians. Farmers typically receive evaluations ahead of breeding season but the new system allows those to be performed on site within minutes..“Our vision is to establish Dynescan as a quality control standard for use across the industry whether in a laboratory, on farm, at a vet practice or used by a technician prior to artificial insemination,” it says on its website. .“Through quality control, issues relating to male fertility can be identified and used to inform decisions to improve the sustainability of livestock production.”.The technology was developed at the University of Edinburgh in conjunction with researchers in Canada, Argentina and the US and can be adapted for dairy cows as well swine and mutton..Company representatives were on hand to tout the innovation at Saskatchewan’s Ag in Motion farm show as part of the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership, which seeks to match up investors with early stage start-ups..Dynescan sells directly from its website and is looking for a Canadian distributor.
