Genotype-environment interaction in composite beef cattle

Author(s)

Mário Luiz Santana Júnior

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Pirassununga.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT)
• Defense date: 2011-07-29

Examining board members

Joanir Pereira Eler; José Bento Sterman Ferraz; Maria Eugênia Zerlotti Mercadante; Humberto Tonhati; Fabio Luiz Buranelo Toral

• Advisor: Joanir Pereira Eler; Fernando Flores Cardoso

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to characterize and define homogenous production environments of composite beef cattle in Brazil in terms of climatic and geographic variables using multivariate exploratory techniques; to evaluate the presence of genotype by environment interaction (GxE) for birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), postweaning gain (PWG), scrotal circumference (SC) and muscling. Nonhierarchical cluster analysis was used to group farms located in regions with similar environmental variables into clusters. Six clusters of farms were formed. The effect of sire-cluster interaction was tested by single-trait analysis. The inclusion of sire-cluster interaction in the genetic evaluation model may not result in better fit to the data for BW, WW and SC. Genetic parameters were estimated by multiple-trait analysis considering the same trait to be different in each cluster. The heritability coefficient in the clusters for BW, WW, PWG, SC and muscling ranged from 0.15 to 0.25; 0.16 to 0.25; 0.10 to 0.20; 0.17 to 0.31 and 0.17 to 0.24, respectively. The genetic correlations ranged from 0.19 to 0.90 for BW, -0.02 to 0.92 for WW, 0.31 to 0.93 for PWG, 0.64 a 0.89 for SC and 0.18 to 0.80 for muscling in the clusters of farms. The different heritability estimates between groups of farms indicates that the response to selection varies with the environment in which animals are selected. The low genetic correlations between traits in the different regions demonstrated the presence of GxE, indicating that the best sires in a certain region are not the same for the other regions. A reaction norm hierarchical model using Bayesian approach was also used for estimation of variance components, genetic parameters and to verify the existence of GxE. Environmental gradients based in solutions for the effect of contemporary groups for BW, WW, PWG and SC were -6.45 to +4.75 kg, -65 kg to +65, -72 to +112 kg and -6.5 to +5.5 cm, respectively. Heritability estimates were increasing in the environmental gradient, BW (0.04 to 0.55), WW (0.39 to 0.47), PWG (0.01 to 0.43) and SC (0.21 to 0.23). The correlation between the level and slope of reaction norm for BW and PWG was of high magnitude, indicating that animals of higher average breeding value were the ones which presented a best response to environmental improvement, characterizing a scale effect on GxE. For WW and SC, the correlation between intercept and slope was low implying reranking of animals in different environments. The reaction norm hierarchical model has been useful to describe changes in the variance components due to the environment and to describe the presence of GxE traits in composite beef cattle. There is genetic variation with respect to the sensitivity of the animals, which enables the selection of genotypes most plastics or more robust. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/05072-4 - Genotype-environment interaction in composite beef cattle and prospection of possible breed compositions more appropriate for different productive environments
• Grantee: Mário Luiz Santana Júnior
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate