Estudo genético-quantitativo de características de crescimento, reprodução, carcaça e escores visuais em um rebanho nelore sob seleção para precocidade sexual

• Autor(a) principal: Brunes, Ludmilla Costa
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFG
• dARK ID: ark:/38995/00130000042dv
• Texto Completo: http://repositorio.bc.ufg.br/tede/handle/tede/6961
• topic: Avaliação genética; Características produtivas; Eficiência reprodutiva; Puberdade; Zebuínos; Genetic evaluation; Productive traits; Puberty; Reproductive efficiency; Zebu; PRODUCAO ANIMAL::CRIACAO DE ANIMAIS

The reproductive efficiency in cattle herds, as well as the anticipation of puberty, has positive effects on zootechnical indexes and on the profitability of production systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters and the genetic and phenotypic trends for growth, carcass, and reproductive traits in a Nellore cattle herd under selection for sexual precocity, given age at first conception and age at first calving as selection criterion. Furthermore, this study also aimed to evaluate, using multivariate analyzes, which traits, among growth, carcass and visual scores, better discern early pregnancy. Genetic parameters were estimated for birth weight (BW), weight at 120 (W120), 210 (W210), 365 (W365) and 450 (W450) days of age, average daily gain pre-weaning and post-weaning (ADGPRE e ADGPOS), rib eye area (REA), backfat thickness (BF), rump fat thickness (RF), marbling (MAR), hot carcass weight (HCW), weight of edible portion (WEP), scrotal circumference at 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, gestation length (LG), days open (DO), calving interval (CI), real fertility (RF), cumulative productivity (CP), relation to weaning (RW), age at first conception (AFCo) and age at first calving (AFCa). Data were provided by Vera Cruz Ranch and the National Association of Breeders and Researchers (ANCP). The covariance components were estimated using the Restricted Maximum Likelihood method, available on BLUPF90 package, in univariate and bivariate analyzes using animal model. The heritability estimated for BW (0.39), W120 (0.32), W210 (0.31), W365 (0.33), W450 (0.34), ADGPRE (0.23), ADGPOS (0.27), REA (0.39), BF (0.34), RF (0.34), MAR (0.38), HCW (0.39), WEP (0.39), SC365 (0.33), SC450 (0.33), LG (0.23), DO (0.34), CI (0.23), RF (0.21), CP (0.25), RW (0.26), AFCo (0.21) and AFCa (0.24) indicated the possibility of genetic selection. The maternal heritability estimated for BW (0.06), W120 (0.08), W210 (0.07), W365 (0.05), W450 (0.11), ADGPRE (0.12), ADGPOS (0.08), SC365 (0.07) and SC450 (0.03) indicated genetic effects of the dam on the progeny performance, until the post-weaning phase, for growth traits. The genetic correlations estimated within growth traits, between growth and carcass traits, within carcass traits and reproductive trait were favorable and of moderate magnitude. The traits that indicate sexual precocity showed genetic correlation coefficients ranging from -0.51 to -0.15, -0.62 to -0.33 and -0.61 to 0.14, between growth, carcass and reproductive traits, respectively. Genetic correlation coefficients were, in most cases, favorable. The genetic trends obtained showed, in general, the effectiveness of the adopted selection criteria with satisfactory genetic gains. Selection for sexual precocity, based on age at first conception, shall promote opposite direction genetic changes on growth, carcass and reproductive traits, which is the desirable effect. Birth weight, fat thickness, bone structure, musculature, rib depth, tail and rump insertion were the traits that presented greater discrimination power for early pregnancy. Thus, these traits can be used as such management targeting criteria and decision-making practices, in order to enable animals to express early pregnancy, guiding the breeders in selecting females for sexual precocity.