1Agricultural Biotechnology Section, ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur-493 225, Chhattisgarh, India
2Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwavidyalaya, Durg-491 001, Chhattisgarh, India
3Division of Animal Genetics and Breeding, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar-125 001, Haryana, India
4ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar-304 501, Rajasthan, India
*Corresponding Author: Soumya Dash, Agricultural Biotechnology Section, ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur-493 225, Chhattisgarh, India, Email: soumya.agb@gmail.com
Online published on 13 February, 2023.
Performance evaluation is necessary for formulation of suitable breeding plans for genetic improvement in a population. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the production, reproduction performances and estimate the genetic parameter and genetic trend on 649 lactation records of 238 Sahiwal cows at an organized farm in Chhattisgarh.
The analysis was performed by using fixed model in LSML. Genetic trend for traits was estimated through linear regression of breeding values over the years.
Least-squares means for total lactation milk yield (TLMY), 305day or less milk yield (305DMY), lactation length (LL), dry period (DP) and peak yield (PY) were 1385.1±26.7 kg, 1331.4±23.6 kg, 291.0±3.7 days, 214.8±6.0 days, 7.5±0.1 kg, while for reproduction traits; age at first calving (AFC), service period (SP) and calving interval (CI), the means were 1522.8±19.1 days, 212.4±5.9 days and 498.3±6.0 days, respectively. All the traits were significantly influenced by period of calving/birth whereas season had significant effect only on PY. The highest heritability (0.29±0.05) was estimated for 305DMY and lowest (0.11±0.07) for SP in Sahiwal cows. Very high and positive genetic correlations was found among production traits. The first lactation 305DMY showed positive genetic trend, while LL, DP, SP and CI showed a negative genetic trend.
Genetic trend, Heritability, Production trait, Reproduction trait, Sahiwal cattle