TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED FOR THE CONTROL OF ESTRUS, OVULATION AND PARTURITION IN THE EAST-GERMAN PIG INDUSTRY - A REVIEW

Centralized administration of the nationalized pig industry in the for mer German Democratic Republic (East Germany), promoted wide-scale use of assisted reproduction of pigs. The objective was to synchronize re productive events such as estrus, ovulation, breeding and parturition in a way that would allow for quick penetration of desirable genetic i nformation by timed artificial insemination and the routine use of hyg ienic measures. Methods developed to control these events were based o n extensive basic and applied research, but the resulting pool of uniq ue scientific information was heretofore not published in refereed jou rnals in the English language. We present here a comprehensive review of biotechnological procedures and physiological insights gained by ba sic and applied research and by their application at the large pig pro duction units.