ESTIMATION OF GENETIC PARAMETERS IN TROPICARNE CATTLE WITH RANDOM REGRESSION MODELS USING B-SPLINES

Abstract

The objectives were to estimate variance components, and direct (h2) and maternal (m2) heritability in the growth of Tropicarne cattle based on a random regression model using B-Splines for random effects modeling. Information from 12 890 monthly weightings of 1787 calves, from birth to 24 months old, was analyzed. The pedigree included 2504 animals. The random effects model included genetic and permanent environmental (direct and maternal) of cubic order, and residuals. The fixed effects included contemporaneous groups (year – season of weighed), sex and the covariate age of the cow (linear and quadratic). The B-Splines were defined in four knots through the growth period analyzed. Analyses were performed with the software Wombat. The variances (phenotypic and residual) presented a similar behavior; of 7 to 12 months of age had a negative trend; from birth to 6 months and 13 to 18 months had positive trend; after 19 months were maintained constant. The m2 were low and near to zero, with an average of 0.06 in an interval of 0.04 to 0.11; the h2 also were close to zero, with an average of 0.10 in an interval of 0.03 to 0.23.