Comparative analysis of various methods for estimating expected genetic gain of production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess the expected genetic gain for first lactation production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes, in addition to optimization of progenies/sire. Data for period 1971–2020 were used from National Dairy Research Institute. Performance traits considered were 305 days milk yield (305DMY), average daily milk yield (ADMY), peak yield (PY), lactation length (LL), calving to first insemination interval (CFI), days open (DO), and calving interval (CI). Expected ΔG was estimated and compared by three different methods; method I involved heritability and selection differential; method II involved selection intensity, phenotypic standard deviation, and heritability; method III involved estimation of ΔG through four paths of inheritance. Initially, eleven progenies/sire were utilized for assessing expected ΔG by method III, and expected ΔG was found as 34.33, 0.12, 0.12 kg, 2.63, 1.51, 2.74, and 2.80 days/year for 305DMY, ADMY, PY, LL, CFI, DO, and CI, respectively. Additionally, there was a significant increase in expected ΔG on increasing progenies/sire from 6 to 11 while subsequent increase upto 16 had little effect on expected ΔG. These findings will be helpful in formulating breeding strategies worldwide in small buffalo herds to obtain sustainable ΔG in production and reproduction traits.

Keywords:

• Fertility traits
• genetic gain
• Murrah buffaloes
• path method
• production

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Director, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana (India), for providing the essential facilities to conduct the present research work.

Author contributions

M.K. and V.V. designed the study. P.R. and A.K. contributed to the data analysis. The manuscript was prepared by M.K. and revised by V.V. and P.R.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data pertaining to the study will be provided by first author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.