Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:22:31.807Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Selection for ultrafine Merino sheep in New Zealand: heritability, phenotypic and genetic correlations of live weight, fleece weight and wool characteristics in yearlings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

T. Wuliji ,
K. G. Dodds ,
J. T. J. Land ,
R. N. Andrews  and
P. R. Turner
T. Wuliji
Affiliation:
AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
K. G. Dodds
Affiliation:
AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
J. T. J. Land
Affiliation:
AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
R. N. Andrews
Affiliation:
AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
P. R. Turner
Affiliation:
AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

Merino yearling records from 1988 to 1992 birth years in ultrafine wool selection and random control flocks at Tara Hills High Country Station, New Zealand were analysed for live weight, fleece weight and wool characteristics. Estimates of heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations among traits using REML methods are presented. Heritabilities (h2) of birth, weaning, autumn, spring and summer live weights and greasy and clean fleece weights were estimated as being 0·35, 0·34, 0·44, 0·43, 0·49, 0·24 and 0·28 respectively; while h2 of yield, fibre diameter, coefficient of variation in fibre diameter, staple crimp, staple length, staple strength, position of break, resistance to compression, bulk, CIE Y and CIE Y-Z were estimated to be 0·58, 0·59, 0·60, 0·45, 0·71, 0·13, 0·18, 0·46, 0·38, 0·38 and 0·42 respectively. Genetic correlations were found to be high among the live weights but low to moderate among fleece weight and wool characteristics. Heritability estimates of fibre diameter, fibre diameter variation and staple length were found to be higher in New Zealand fine wool Merinos than most of those reported in the literature. The results indicate that selection for reduced fibre diameter will have little effect on other major production traits such as live weight and fleece weight.

Keywords

fibresgenetic parameterslive weightMerinowool
Type
Breeding and genetics
Information
Animal Science , Volume 72 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 241 - 250
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Analla, M. and Serradilla, J. M. 1998. Estimation of correlations between ewe litter size and maternal effects on lamb weights in Merino sheep. Genetics, Selection, Evolution 30: 493–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkins, K. D. and Casey, A. E. 1992. Improving the efficiency of sire selection on studs. Report DAN 17, Australian Wool Corporation.Google Scholar
Barlow, R. 1974. Selection for clean fleece weight in Merino sheep. II. Correlated responses to selection. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 25: 973–994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beattie, A. W. 1962. Relationship among productive characters of Merino sheep in north-western Queensland. 2. Estimates of genetic parameters, with particular reference to selection for wool weight and crimp frequency. Queensland Journal of Agricultural Science 19: 17–26.Google Scholar
Brash, L. D., Taylor, P. J. and Gilmour, A. R. 1997. Estimates of genetic parameters and environmental effects for production traits in young Merino rams. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 12: 529–533.Google Scholar
Brown, G. H. and Turner, H. N. 1968. Response to selection in Australian Merino sheep. II. Estimates of phenotypic and genetic parameters for some production traits in Merino ewes and an analysis of the possible effects of selection on them. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 19: 303–322.Google Scholar
Coelli, K. A. and Atkins, K. D. 1995. Fleece weight and fibre diameter relationships within and between Merino flocks. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 587–590.Google Scholar
Davis, G. P. and McGuirk, B. J. 1987. Genetic relationship between clean wool weight, its components and related skin characters. In Proceedings of a national symposium: Merino improvement programs in Australia (ed. McGuirk, B. J.), pp. 189–206. Australian Wool Corporation.Google Scholar
Delport, G. J. and Botha, A. F. 1994. Reducing fibre diameter variation and coarse edge in Dohne Merinos – preliminary results. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, vol. 19, pp. 417–420.Google Scholar
Fogarty, N. M. 1995. Genetic parameters for live weight, fat and muscle measurements, wool production and reproduction in sheep: a review. Animal Breeding Abstracts 63: 101–143.Google Scholar
Garnsworthy, R. K., Gully, R. L., Kandaih, R. P., Kenins, P., Mayfield, R. J. and Westerman, R. A. 1988. Understanding the causes of prickle and skin itch from skin contact of fabrics. Australian Textiles 8: 26–29.Google Scholar
Gifford, D. R., Ponzoni, R. W., Ancell, P. M. C., Hynd, P. I., Walkley, J. R. W. and Grimson, R. J. 1995. Genetic studies on wool quality and skin characters of the Merino. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 43: 24–29.Google Scholar
Gilmour, A. R. 1997. ASREML for testing fixed effects and estimating multiple trait variance components. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 12: 386–390.Google Scholar
Greef, J. C., Lewer, R. P., Ponzoni, R. W. and Purvis, I. 1995. Staple strength: progress towards elucidating its place in Merino breeding. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 595–599.Google Scholar
Gregory, I. P. 1982a. Genetic studies of South Australian Merinos. III. Heritabilities of various wool and body traits. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 33: 355–362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, I. P. 1982b. Genetic studies of South Australian Merinos. IV. Genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations between various wool and body traits. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 33: 363–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groot, G. J. J. B. de. 1995. The use of effective fineness to determine the effect of wool-fibre-diameter distribution on yarn properties. Journal of the Textile Institute 86: 33–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hickson, J. D., Swan, A. A., Kinghorn, B. P. and Piper, L. R. 1995. Maternal effects at different ages in Merino sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 416–420.Google Scholar
Howe, R. R., MacLeod, I. M. and Lewer, R. P. 1991. Genetic parameters for some wool tenderness related traits under different nutrition levels in Merino sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 9: 347–351.Google Scholar
James, P. J., Ponzoni, R. W., Walkley, J. R. W. and Whiteley, K. J. 1990. Genetic parameters for wool production and quality traits in South Australian Merinos of the Collinsville family group. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 41: 583–594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, D. L. and Thompson, R. 1995. Restricted maximum likelihood estimation of variance components for univariate animal models using sparse matrix techniques and average information. Journal of Dairy Science 78: 449–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lax, J. and Jackson, N. 1987. Genetic correlations and their effects on genetic progress in the Merino industry. In Proceedings of a national symposium: Merino improvement programs in Australia (ed. McGuirk, B. J.), pp. 207–218. Australian Wool Corporation.Google Scholar
Lewer, R. P., Woolaston, R. R. and Howe, R. R. 1994. Studies of Western Australian Merino sheep. II. Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates for objectively measured traits on ram and ewe hoggets using different model types. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45: 829–840.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayo, O., Crook, B., Lax, J., Swan, A. and Hancock, T. W. 1994. The determination of fibre diameter distribution. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, vol. 19, pp. 413–416.Google Scholar
Meuwissen, T. H. E. and Kanis, E. 1988. Application of bending theory in a pig-breeding situation. Livestock Production Science 18: 85–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morley, F. H. W. 1955. Selection for economic characters in Australian Merino sheep. V. Further estimates of phenotypic and genetic parameters. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 6: 77–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, S. I. 1987. Australian estimates of genetic parameters for wool production and quality traits. In Proceedings of a national symposium: Merino improvement programs in Australia (ed. McGuirk, B. J.), pp. 159–173. Australian Wool Corporation.Google Scholar
Mortimer, S. I. and Atkins, K. D. 1989. Genetic evaluation of production traits between and within flocks of Merino sheep. I. Hogget fleece weights, body weight and wool quality. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 40: 433–443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, S. I. and Atkins, K. D. 1994. Direct additive and maternal genetic effects on wool production of Merino sheep. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, vol. 18, pp. 103–106.Google Scholar
Mortimer, S. I. and Atkins, K. D. 1995. Maternal effects influence growth traits of Merino sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 421–424.Google Scholar
Mullaney, P. D., Brown, G. H., Young, S. S. Y. and Hyland, P. G. 1970. Genetic and phenotypic parameters for wool characteristics in fine-wool Merino, Corriedale, and Polwarth sheep. II. Phenotypic and genetic correlations, heritability and repeatability. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 21: 527–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ponzoni, R. W., Grimson, R. J., Jaensch, K. S., Smith, D. H., Gifford, D. R., Ancell, P. M. C., Walkley, J. R. W. and Hynd, P. I. 1995. The Turretfield sheep breeding project: messages on phenotypic and genetic parameters for South Australian Merino sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 303–313.Google Scholar
Purvis, I. W. 1995. Strategies for improving wool quality and productivity in fine and superfine woolled Merino flocks. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 510–515.Google Scholar
Rogan, I. M. 1984. Selection for wool production. Proceedings of the second world congress on sheep and beef cattle breeding, pp. 367–380.Google Scholar
Rose, M. and Pepper, P. M. 1996. Phenotypic and genetic parameters for production traits of Merino sheep in central western Queensland. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 21: 170–172.Google Scholar
Snyman, M. A., Olivier, J. J. and Olivier, W. J. 1996. Variance components and genetic parameters for body weight and fleece traits of Merino sheep in an arid environment. South African Journal of Animal Science 26: 11–14.Google Scholar
Stram, D. O. and Lee, J. W. 1994. Variance components testing in the longitudinal mixed effects model. Biometrics 50: 1171–1177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swan, A. A. and Hickson, J. D. 1994. Maternal effects in Australian Merinos. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, Guelph, vol. 18, pp. 143–146.Google Scholar
Swan, A. A., Lax, J. and Purvis, I. W. 1995. Genetic variation in objectively measured wool traits in CSIRO’s fine wool flock. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 516–520.Google Scholar
Swan, A. A. and Piper, L. R. 1993. Final report to the Wool Research and Development Corporation, project no. CPB 214, Australia. Google Scholar
Taylor, P. J., Gilmour, A. R., Crowe, D. W., Jackson, N. and Atkins, K. D. 1997. Genetic parameters for objectively measured style traits of Merino fleeces. Proceedings of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 12: 149–152.Google Scholar
Turner, H. N. 1977. Australian sheep breeding research. Animal Breeding Abstracts 45: 9–31.Google Scholar
Turner, H. N., Brooker, M. G. and Dolling, C. H. S. 1970. Response to selection in Australian Merino sheep. III. Single character selection for high and low values of wool weight and its components. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 21: 955–984.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaez Torshizi, R., Nicholas, F. W. and Raadsma, H. W. 1996. REML estimates of variance and covariance components for production traits in Australian Merino sheep, using an animal model. 1. Body weight from from birth to 22 months. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 47: 1235–1249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaez Torshizi, R., Raadsma, H. W. and Nicholas, F. W. 1995. An investigation of the potential for early (indirect) selection in Australian Merino sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 11: 314–316.Google Scholar
Walkley, J. R. W., Ponzoni, R. W. and Dolling, C. H. S. 1987. Phenotypic and genetic parameters for lamb and hogget traits in flock of South Australian Merino sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 205–210.Google Scholar
Watson, N., Jackson, N. and Whiteley, K. J. 1977. Inheritance of the resistance to compression property of Australian Merino wool and its genetic correlation with follicle curvature and various wool and body characters. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 28: 1083–1094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whiteley, K. J. 1987. Wool processing. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 36: 109–113.Google Scholar
Whiteley, K. J. and Jackson, N. 1982. Breeding for apparel wool. Proceedings of the first world congress on sheep and beef cattle breeding, vol. 1, pp. 47–55.Google Scholar
Wuliji, T., Dodds, K. G., Land, J. T. J., Andrews, R. N. and Turner, P. R. 1999. Response to selection for ultrafine Merino sheep in New Zealand. I. Wool production and wool characteristics of ultrafine fibre diameter selected and control Merino yearlings. Livestock Production Science 58: 33–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wuliji, T., Endo, T., Land, J. T. J., Andrews, R. N., Dodds, K. G. and Turner, P. R. 1995. Evaluation of New Zealand low and high crimp Merino wools. II. Wool characteristics and processing performance of knitwear and woven fabrics. Proceedings of the ninth wool textile research conference, vol. II, pp. 150–158.Google Scholar
Wuliji, T., Land, J. T. J., Andrews, R. N. and Dodds, K. G. 1990. Fleece weight and wool characteristics of Merino ewes screened into a superfine selection flock. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 50: 301–303.Google Scholar
Young, S. S. Y., Brown, G. H., Turner, H. N. and Dolling, C. H. S. 1965. Genetic and phenotypic parameters for body weight and greasy fleece weight at weaning in Australian Merino sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 16: 997–1009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, S. S. Y., Turner, H. N. and Dolling, C. H. S. 1960. Comparison of estimates of repeatability and heritability for some production traits in Merino rams and ewes. II. Heritability. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11: 604–617.CrossRefGoogle Scholar