Abstract
An understanding of genetic principles and environmental factors affecting the growth traits is essential to implement optimal breeding and selection programs. Early growth is an indicator of future success in production and reproduction status of dairy animals. In this study, a total of 18,989 records of body weight were used to estimate genetic parameters of body weight at birth (BW), 3 months (3BW), 6 months (6BW), 9 months (9BW),12 months (12BW), 18 months (18BW), 24 months (24 BW), 30 months (3BW), and 36 months (36BW) in Murrah buffalo at ICAR-NDRI Karnal, Haryana, for the period 1974–2019. The genetic parameters were estimated using the average information restricted maximum likelihood (AIREML) procedure by excluding or including maternal effects. Six analytical models were fitted in order to optimize the model for each trait. The most appropriate univariate model was selected based on the log likelihood ratio test (LRT). Influencing factors like calf sex, period of birth, season of birth, and dam’s parity were investigated. The results showed that the maternal genetic effects, in addition to direct additive effects, were important for unbiased and accurate genetic parameter estimates of growth traits in Murrah buffaloes. Total heritability estimates h2T1 for BW, 3BW, 6BW, 9BW, 12BW, 18BW, 24BW, 30BW, and 36BW were 0.25, 0.04, 0.14, 0.16, 0.10, 0.15, 0.21, 0.24, and 0.23, respectively. Maternal effect was significant for birth weight and accounted for 13% variation through maternal genetic and 5% variability through maternal permanent environmental effect. Maternal genetic effect was also important for other traits. However, it interfered with the estimates of variance ratios in live weight traits owing to large and negative covariance between direct and maternal genetic effects. Direct genetic correlations between body weight traits were positive and high ranging from 0.10 to 0.94. Results revealed that the Murrah herd has a sizable genetic variability for growth traits and hence, there is sufficient scope for selection for achieving better growth rate if selection in this direction is applied. Owing to higher positive genetic correlation of 6BW with later ages, the scope of indirect selection for optimum growth in later ages can be aimed at by selecting animals for their higher 6-month live weight.
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The data set generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Director, ICAR-NDRI Karnal, for providing necessary facilities for successful completion of the work. We deeply acknowledge the support from In-Charge of the record room and livestock production management section for maintaining farm records.
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Archana Verma elaborated the project and was in charge of the overall direction, supervised the work, and helped in writing of the manuscript. Pooja Joshi designed the experiment; collected, edited, and analyzed the data; and wrote the draft of the manuscript in consultation with authors. G.R. Gowane took the lead in the interpretation of results, and technical details contributed in the analysis. Rani Alex helped in the technical details and analysis, I.D Gupta helped in writing the manuscript, Destaw Worku helped in analysis and manuscript writing, and Linda George and Ashish Ranjan were involved in writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This study is based on animal breeding data and no experiment animal was used. We have obtained proper permission from the office of In-Charge of the record room, ICAR-NDRI, Animal Genetics and Breeding Division, Karnal, Haryana, India. Therefore, use of this data in research does not require ethical clearance.
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Joshi, P., Gowane, G.R., Alex, R. et al. Estimation of genetic parameters of growth traits for direct and maternal effects in Murrah buffalo. Trop Anim Health Prod 54, 352 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03343-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03343-z