Kause A, Mikkola L, Strandén I, Sirkko K
1MTT Agrifood Research Finland,Biometrical Genetics,Myllytie 1,FI-31600 Jokioinen,Finland.
3Faba Co., Vantaa,Urheilutie 6,FI-01301 Vantaa,Finland.
Animal. 2015 Jan;9(1):35-42. doi: 10.1017/S1751731114001992. Epub 2014 Aug 28.
Profitability of beef production can be increased by genetically improving carcass traits. To construct breeding value evaluations for carcass traits, breed-specific genetic parameters were estimated for carcass weight, carcass conformation and carcass fat in five beef cattle breeds in Finland (Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, Simmental, Charolais and Limousin). Conformation and fat were visually scored using the EUROP carcass classification. Each breed was separately analyzed using a multitrait animal model. A total of 6879-19 539 animals per breed had phenotypes. For the five breeds, heritabilities were moderate for carcass weight (h 2=0.39 to 0.48, s.e.=0.02 to 0.04) and slightly lower for conformation (h 2=0.30 to 0.44, s.e.=0.02 to 0.04) and carcass fat (h 2=0.29 to 0.44, s.e.=0.02 to 0.04). The genetic correlation between carcass weight and conformation was favorable in all breeds (r G=0.37 to 0.53, s.e.=0.04 to 0.05), heavy carcasses being genetically more conformed. The phenotypic correlation between carcass weight and carcass fat was moderately positive in all breeds (r P=0.21 to 0.32), implying that increasing carcass weight was related to increasing fat levels. The respective genetic correlation was the strongest in Hereford (r G=0.28, s.e.=0.05) and Angus (r G=0.15, s.e.=0.05), the two small body-sized British breeds with the lowest conformation and the highest fat level. The correlation was weaker in the other breeds (r G=0.08 to 0.14). For Hereford, Angus and Simmental, more conformed carcasses were phenotypically fatter (r P=0.11 to 0.15), but the respective genetic correlations were close to zero (r G=-0.05 to 0.04). In contrast, in the two large body-sized and muscular French breeds, the genetic correlation between conformation and fat was negative and the phenotypic correlation was close to zero or negative (Charolais: r G=-0.18, s.e.=0.06, r P=0.02; Limousin: r G=-0.56, s.e.=0.04, r P=-0.13). The results indicate genetic variation for the genetic improvement of the carcass traits, favorable correlations for the simultaneous improvement of carcass weight and conformation in all breeds, and breed differences in the correlations of carcass fat.
通过基因改良胴体性状可以提高牛肉生产的盈利能力。为构建胴体性状的育种值评估体系，对芬兰的五个肉牛品种（赫里福德牛、阿伯丁安格斯牛、西门塔尔牛、夏洛莱牛和利木赞牛）的胴体重、胴体外形和胴体脂肪的品种特异性遗传参数进行了估计。外形和脂肪采用欧盟胴体分级标准进行视觉评分。每个品种分别使用多性状动物模型进行分析。每个品种共有6879 - 19539头动物有表型数据。对于这五个品种，胴体重的遗传力适中（h² = 0.39至0.48，标准误 = 0.02至0.04），外形的遗传力略低（h² = 0.30至0.44，标准误 = 0.02至0.04），胴体脂肪的遗传力也略低（h² = 0.29至0.44，标准误 = 0.02至0.04）。胴体重与外形之间的遗传相关性在所有品种中都是有利的（rG = 0.37至0.53，标准误 = 0.04至0.05），较重的胴体在遗传上更符合标准。胴体重与胴体脂肪之间的表型相关性在所有品种中呈中度正相关（rP = 0.21至0.32），这意味着胴体重的增加与脂肪水平的增加有关。在赫里福德牛（rG = 0.28，标准误 = 0.05）和安格斯牛（rG = 0.15，标准误 = 0.05）中，各自的遗传相关性最强，这两个英国小型品种的外形最低且脂肪水平最高。在其他品种中相关性较弱（rG = 0.08至0.14）。对于赫里福德牛、安格斯牛和西门塔尔牛，外形更符合标准的胴体在表型上更肥（rP = 0.11至0.15），但各自的遗传相关性接近零（rG = -0.05至0.04）。相比之下，在两个法国大型且肌肉发达的品种中，外形与脂肪之间的遗传相关性为负，表型相关性接近零或为负（夏洛莱牛：rG = -0.18，标准误 = 0.06，rP = 0.02；利木赞牛：rG = -0.56，标准误 = 0.04，rP = -0.13）。结果表明存在用于胴体性状遗传改良的遗传变异，所有品种在同时改良胴体重和外形方面具有有利的相关性，并且在胴体脂肪的相关性方面存在品种差异。
