Parâmetros genéticos e tendências genéticas e fenotípicas para características produtivas para uma população da raça Aberdeen Angus

Abstract

This study had as objective to estimate genetic parameters and genetic and phenotypic progress for growing characteristics at pre and post weaning for an Aberdeen Angus cattle breed. The covariance components were obtained by the REML using an animal model. In the article 01 they were analyzed the characteristics birth weight (PN), average daily gain from birth to weaning (GMDND), weaning weight adjusted to 205 days of age (P205) and visual scores (EVs) of conformation (C), precocity (P), musculature (M) and size (T), at the pre weaning phase, from 23,176 animals born between the years 1994 and 2004. The direct and maternal heritabilities were: 0.27 and 0.11, 0.26 and 0.21, 0.24 and 0.07, 0.15 and 0.17, 0.12 and 0.08, 0.12 and 0.10, and 0.19 and 0.09, respectively to PN, GMDND, P205, C, P, M, and T. The genetic correlations between GMDND and EVs ranged from 0.55 to 0.66 and for the EVs in between themselves, from 0.50 to 0.92. The genetic trends for PN, GMDND, P205 (g/year) and for C, P, M e T (points/year) were: 17.5, 1.1, 220.9, 0.0046, 0.003, 0.0044, and 0.0063 and the phenotypic were 29.8, -3.3, 467.9, 0.0037, -0.0044, 0.0153, and -0.0163 respectively. The direct heritabilities suggest that it can be possible to get genetic gain by selection in this population, although for the EVs, this must be expected in low proportions. The genetic correlations between GMDND and EVs shows that selection for GMDND promotes improvement in EVs and vice-versa, suggesting that selection index combining these characteristics can be an efficient alternative selection method. The positive genetic trends indicate that it is occurring genetic progress; however the phenotypic, negative, for same characteristics suggest the necessity that to improve the environmental conditions to permit the expression of the genotype. In article 02 it were analyzed the post weaning characteristics yearling weight adjusted to 550 days of age (P550), average daily gain from weaning to yearling (GMDDS), and the EVs, according to Article 01. In post weaning phase the data were composed by observations on 28,349 animals, born from 1993 to 2003. The direct heritabilities estimated were: 0.23, 0.16 , 0.13, 0.11, 0.16 and 0.13, to P550, GMDDS, C, P, M and T, respectively. The genetic correlations between GMDDS and the EVs range from 0.27 a 0.43 and between the EVs ranged from 0.01 a 0.92. The genetic trends estimated for P550 and GMDDS (g/year) and for C, P, M, and T (points/year) were: 193.2; 0.1, 0.0054, 0.0035, 0.0057, and 0.0026, respectively. The phenotypic trends for the same characteristics were: 3,868, -2.2, 0.0189, -0.0013, 0.0217 and -0.0016, respectively. The direct heritabilities estimated suggest to be possible to get genetic gain by selection in this population. The genetic correlations between GMDDS and the EVs suggest that the selection for GMDDS promote improvement in EVs and vice-versa; for the EVs between themselves the correlations were height between C, P and M (0.79 to 0.92) and low between these and T (0.01 to 0.30). The genetic trends indicate that the selection is promoting, although low, genetic progress; however the phenotypic, negative, for same characteristics suggest that more attention must be given to the environmental conditions to permit the expression of the genotype.