Genetic analysis of biometric traits in Murrah buffaloes using Bayesian approach

Authors: SATPAL DAHIYTA, MANOJ KUMAR, POONAM RATWAN, SANDEEP DHILLOD

Abstract: The body conformation traits, which support higher production and longer productive life are very important to breed future dairy buffaloes. Bayesian multiple-trait analysis was performed in biometric traits of Murrah buffaloes to estimate the (co)variance components using an animal model and Gibbs sampling. The model included the fixed effects of parity, season of calving, period of calving, and age group at the time of recording of traits. Random effects included were additive genetic and residual effects. Posterior means of heritability distribution for body length (BL), height at wither (HW), rump width (RW), hip bone distance (HBD), rump slope (RS), brisket distance (BD), navel flap length (NFL) and average skin thickness (AST) were 0.45, 0.56, 0.56, 0.60, 0.48, 0.44, 0.53, and 0.53, respectively. Genetic correlation estimates ranged from -0.64 (RS and NFL) to 0.53 (HDB and HW) and residual correlation estimates ranged from -0.35 (RS and BL) to 0.57 (RS and HW). Results of the current study indicated that all considered linear type traits have a lot of genetic variabilities, which can be used for selection and genetic improvement of Murrah buffaloes in future.

Keywords: Bayesian approach, genetic parameters, linear type traits, Murrah buffaloes

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