CORRELATION BETWEEN TESTICULAR MORPHOMETRIC MEASURES, SEMINAL QUALITY, LIBIDO, MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPERAMENT OF BREED BULLS ‘‘GIR LEITEIRO’’ (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between testicular morphometric measurements, age, seminal quality, libido, morphological characteristics and temperament of bulls of the breed ‘‘Gir Leiteiro’’. Data from the 12th edition of pre-selection for the Progeny Test (2021) were analyzed, using 798 information from 42 animals aged between 23 and 35 months. The phenotypic correlations between age, length, width and testicular volume (left and right), scrotal circumference, aspect, seminal volume, motility, vortex, vigor, total, major and minor defects, functional type, libido and temperament were performed by the test. of Pearson's correlation, at 5% of significance, through the software R Studio version. Positive correlations of high and moderate magnitude (0.40 to 0.93) were observed between the testicular morphometric characteristics studied, and moderate magnitude (0.37) between scrotal circumference and age. Left and right testicular length showed a moderate and negative correlation with major defects (-0.32 and -0.33, respectively). The functional type showed a positive and moderate correlation with right testicular length (0.33), width (0.48) and left testicular volume (0.25) and scrotal circumference (0.48). Libido and total defects were negatively correlated with moderate magnitude (-0.31). Temperament was positively correlated with moderate magnitude with motility (0.44) and vigor (0.46). Therefore, in the animals of the present study, testicular morphometric measurements are shown to be good parameters used in the selection of bulls with better seminal quality and functional type. The physical characteristics of semen were also correlated with libido and temperament, demonstrating the relationship between animal behavior and the seminal characteristics studied in this work.