The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture presides over a committee for the defense of a doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Agriculture, which is focused on the effects of using Portulaca oleracea seeds and its alcoholic extract on the reproductive traits of broiler breeder males and the productive performance of their offspring.

Professor Dr. Raed Ibrahim Khalil, the esteemed Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala, chaired the committee for the defense of a doctoral dissertation entitled “The Impact of Using Portulaca oleracea Seeds and Its Alcoholic Extract on the Reproductive Traits of Broiler Breeder Males and the Productive Performance of Their Offspring.” The study, presented by the student Osama Ahmed Latif, examined the use of powdered Portulaca oleracea seeds and their alcoholic extract, for the first time in Iraq, to enhance the semen quality of broiler breeder males, improve fertility and hatching traits of fertilized eggs, increase antioxidant levels in seminal plasma, and, consequently, enhance the biological environment of semen. The study also investigated the effects of these additives on the traits of hatching chicks and their subsequent productive performance.

The study concluded several findings, including:

• The addition of powdered Portulaca oleracea seeds and its alcoholic extract led to improvements in semen quality, such as an increase in ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, both individual and collective motility, and the proportion of live sperm, while reducing the percentage of dead and malformed sperm.

• The inclusion of powdered seeds in the feed and the alcoholic extract in the drinking water had a positive impact on antioxidants, including lowering stress enzymes ALT and AST in seminal plasma, as well as reducing MDA levels and increasing GSH levels in the seminal plasma.

• The incorporation of the powdered seeds and their alcoholic extract in the feed and drinking water of broiler breeders improved fertility and hatching rates in the experimental mothers.

• No significant effect was observed on the productive traits of offspring resulting from artificial insemination after their rearing.

Based on these results, it was concluded that there were no negative effects from adding powdered Portulaca oleracea seeds and its alcoholic extract on the productive performance of hatching chicks. Consequently, this method can be safely used to enhance semen quality in males and improve fertility and hatching traits in females.

The study recommends:

• Utilizing a level of 10 grams per kilogram of feed of powdered Portulaca oleracea seeds and 10 milliliters per liter of drinking water of its alcoholic extract in the nutrition of aging broiler breeder males to enhance their fertility and extend their productive lifespan.

• Investigating the addition of powdered Portulaca oleracea seeds and its alcoholic extract in the nutrition of other poultry species such as turkeys, laying hens, and quails, to improve their fertility.

• Exploring higher levels of powdered seeds and alcoholic extract in future studies on broiler breeder males.

• Studying the addition of powdered Portulaca oleracea or its alcoholic extract in the feeding of broiler breeders to increase fertility and hatching rates.