Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, the Netherlands.
J Anim Sci. 2012 Jul;90(7):2120-9. doi: 10.2527/jas.2011-4700. Epub 2012 Jan 13.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate measures of boar (Sus scrofa) taint as potential selection criteria to reduce boar taint so that castration of piglets will become unnecessary. Therefore, genetic parameters of boar taint measures and their genetic correlations with finishing traits were estimated. In particular, the usefulness of a human panel assessing boar taint (human nose score) was compared with chemical assessment of boar taint compounds, androstenone, skatole, and indole. Heritability estimates for androstenone, skatole, and indole were 0.54, 0.41, and 0.33, respectively. The heritability for the human nose score using multiple panelists was 0.12, and ranged from 0.12 to 0.19 for individual panelists. Genetic correlations between scores of panelists were generally high up to unity. The genetic correlations between human nose scores and the boar taint compounds ranged from 0.64 to 0.999. The boar taint compounds and human nose scores had low or favorable genetic correlations with finishing traits. Selection index estimates indicated that the effectiveness of a breeding program based on human nose scores can be comparable to a breeding program based on the boar taint compounds themselves. Human nose scores can thus be used as a cheap and fast alternative for the costly determination of boar taint compounds, needed in breeding pigs without boar taint.
本研究旨在评估公猪（Sus scrofa）异味的衡量标准，作为减少公猪异味的潜在选择标准，从而使去势仔猪变得不必要。因此，估计了公猪异味衡量标准的遗传参数及其与育肥性状的遗传相关性。特别是，用人鼻评分评估公猪异味的有效性（人类鼻子评分）与化学评估公猪异味化合物雄烯酮、粪臭素和吲哚进行了比较。雄烯酮、粪臭素和吲哚的遗传力估计值分别为 0.54、0.41 和 0.33。使用多个评估员的人类鼻子评分的遗传力为 0.12，单个评估员的遗传力范围为 0.12 至 0.19。评估员评分之间的遗传相关性通常高达 1。人类鼻子评分与公猪异味化合物之间的遗传相关性范围为 0.64 至 0.999。公猪异味化合物和人类鼻子评分与育肥性状的遗传相关性较低或有利。选择指数估计表明，基于人类鼻子评分的育种计划的有效性可以与基于公猪异味化合物本身的育种计划相当。因此，人类鼻子评分可以作为一种廉价且快速的替代品，用于确定无公猪异味的育肥猪所需的昂贵公猪异味化合物。
