Genetic associations between scrotal circumference and female reproductive traits in Nelore cattle


Autoria(s): Terakado, A. P. N.; Boligon, A. A.; Baldi, F.; Silva, J. A. Ii V.; Albuquerque, L. G.
Contribuinte(s)

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)

Data(s)

21/10/2015

21/10/2015

01/06/2015

Resumo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic associations between scrotal circumference obtained at 12 (SC12; mean of 21.46 +/- 2.74 cm), 15 (SC15; mean of 25.31 +/- 3.19 cm), and 18 mo of age (SC18; mean of 26.77 +/- 2.95 cm) and reproductive traits measured directly in heifers (age at first calving [AFC]: mean of 1,062.06 +/- 114.79 d; heifer pregnancy at 16 mo of age [HP]: mean of 15.4 +/- 0.36%; and subsequent rebreeding of primiparous heifers [HR]: mean of 27.1 +/- 0.44%) using Bayesian inference to evaluate the possible inclusion of these traits as selection criteria in beef cattle breeding programs. Genetic gains comparisons were also estimated. A total of 53,683 data of Nelore animals born between 1990 and 2006, obtained from the livestock archive of Agropecuaria Jacarezinho Ltda. (Valparaiso, Sao Paulo, Brazil), were analyzed. Two-trait analysis provided heritability estimates of 0.35 +/- 0.08, 0.40 +/- 0.04, 0.37 +/- 0.03, 0.21 +/- 0.01, 0.55 +/- 0.03, and 0.17 +/- 0.03 for SC12, SC15, SC18, AFC, HP, and HR, respectively. The genetic correlations between scrotal circumference and AFC, HP, and HR were -0.42 +/- 0.12, 0.43 +/- 0.13, and -0.13 +/- 0.17, respectively, for SC12; -0.25 +/- 0.07, 0.26 +/- 0.07, and -0.11 +/- 0.10, respectively, for SC15; and -0.22 +/- 0.06, 0.39 +/- 0.06, and 0.11 +/- 0.09, respectively, for SC18. The direct selection response for HP was 0.12%, but when HP is indirectly selected based on the scrotal circumferences, the gains on these correlated responses were higher (0.16, 0.16, and 0.22%) for selection based on SC12, SC15, and SC18, respectively. These findings suggest that the selection of animals for larger scrotal circumference, particularly at 12 mo of age, should result in higher rates of HP and younger AFC of Nelore females.

Formato

2706-2713

Identificador

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26115258

Journal Of Animal Science. Champaign: Amer Soc Animal Science, v. 93, n. 6, p. 2706-2713, 2015.

0021-8812

http://hdl.handle.net/11449/128439

WOS:000357104800011

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

Amer Soc Animal Science

Relação

Journal Of Animal Science

Direitos

closedAccess

Palavras-Chave #Age at first calving #Bayesian inference #Beef cattle #Heifer pregnancy #Heifer rebreeding
Tipo

info:eu-repo/semantics/article