Variability and additive, non additive and total genetic predictions in the multibreed, Sanmartinero-Cebu beef cattle herd in La Libertad Research Center

Calf growth data from the Sanmartinero-Zebu multibreed herd located at the La Libertad Research Center were used to obtain estimations of additive genetic ratios (heritabilities), non additive genetic atios (interactibilities), and additive, non additive, direct and maternal genetic correlations for birth weight, weaning weight (240 d), and postweaning gain (240 to 480 d). Additive and non additive genetic values were predicted for the three growth traits, for all sires used in the herd from 1971 to 1996. Multibreed methodology was used to compute estimates of covariance components and to predict sire genetic values. Heritability estimates in the Sanmartinero and Zebu breeds were 0.26 and 0.30 for birth weight direct, 0.10 and 0.08 for weaning weight direct, 0.44 and 0.37 for postweaning weight direct, 0.29 and 0.36 for birth weight maternal, 0.11 and 0.10 for weaning weight maternal, and 0.46 and 0.38 for postweaning weight maternal. Estimates of additive and non additive genetic correlations among all traits and genetic effects were low; most of them (38 of 45) were smaller than 0.10. Additive and total direct genetic predictions indicate that calves sired by Sanmartinero bulls were, in general, smaller at birth and at weaning, but had similar postweaning gains to calves from Zebu bulls. Additive and total maternal predictions, on the other hand, suggest that daughters of Sanmartinero sires had larger calves at birth that were heavier at weaning, and had larger postvveaning gains than calves of daughters of Zebu sires. Non additive direct genetic predictions were larger than non additive maternal ones for both: Sanmartinero and Zebu sires. Additive and non additive maternal predictions for pre and postweaning gain, however, suggest that calves of dams of lower maternal ability (e.g., lower milk production) grew more postweaning than those of higher maternal ability. These results suggest that Sanmartinero cattle were competitive with Zebu cattle for growth traits, and demonstrated an excellent interbreed combining ability under the nutritional and management conditions of La Libertad.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Elzo, Mauricio A., Martínez, Germán
Format:	info:eu-repo/semantics/article biblioteca
Language:	spa
Published:	Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (Agrosavia) 2001
Subjects:	Cebú, Ganado de carne, Producción animal, Ganadería y especies menores,
Online Access:	http://revista.corpoica.org.co/index.php/revista/article/view/187 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12324/33869
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