Parameters and genetic tendency in post-weaning growth traits in Santa Gertrudis males

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Y. Morales
Danilo Guerra
M. A. Su?rez
M. Rodr?guez
Dianelys Gonz?lez-Pe?a
F. Ramos

Abstract

For estimating the parameters and genetic tendencies of post-weaning growth traits of Santa Gertrudis males, the performance test records of the period 1981-2010 were analyzed. Records came from the cattle breeding enterprises ?Turiguan?? and ?Camilo Cienfuegos?, from Ciego de ?vila and Pinar del R?o, respectively, as well as from the cattle breeding farm ?Rancho Vallina?, of Santiago de Cuba. Live weight traits were studied at the beginning of the performance test (ILW), average daily gain (ADG), weight for age (WFA) and final live weight in the performance test (FLW), at 18 months. Animals were fed natural pastures and supplemented with concentrates. The analysis was carried out through a multi-trait animal model, including as fixed effects the contemporary group (herd-year-birth trimester) and age as covariable. As random effects the direct and maternal additive genetic effects and the residual error were considered. The highest heritability estimates were of 0.21 ? 0.07 and 0.22 ? 0.07 for FLW and WFA, respectively. The genetic correlations between ADG and WFA were 0.78 ? 0.21 and between ILW and ADG 0.83 ? 0.07. The lowest correlation was between ILW and FLW (0.60). It is concluded that heritabilities for growth traits in Santa Gertrudis cattle were between medium and low. Genetic correlations were high and positive. Genetic tendencies resulted low; there was no genetic progress in traits as ADG.
Key words: final live weight, direct and maternal effects, genetic progress

Article Details

How to Cite
Morales, Y., Guerra, D., Su?rez, M. A., Rodr?guez, M., Gonz?lez-Pe?a, D., & Ramos, F. (2013). Parameters and genetic tendency in post-weaning growth traits in Santa Gertrudis males. Cuban Journal of Agricultural Science, 47(1). Retrieved from https://cjascience.com/index.php/CJAS/article/view/247
Section
Genetics
Author Biographies

Y. Morales

Universidad de Granma, Carretera a Manzanillo km 17 ?, Peralejo, Bayamo, Granma, Cuba

Danilo Guerra

Centro de Investigaciones para el Mejoramiento Animal de la Ganader?a Tropical, Carretera Central km 21 ?, Loma de Tierra, Cotorro, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

M. A. Su?rez

Universidad Agraria de La Habana, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, San Jos? de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba

M. Rodr?guez

Centro de Investigaciones para el Mejoramiento Animal de la Ganader?a Tropical, Carretera Central km 21 ?, Loma de Tierra, Cotorro, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

Dianelys Gonz?lez-Pe?a

Centro de Investigaciones para el Mejoramiento Animal de la Ganader?a Tropical, Carretera Central km 21 ?, Loma de Tierra, Cotorro, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

F. Ramos

Direcci?n Nacional de Gen?tica, Ministerio de la Agricultura, Cuba