Estimates of covariance components along with genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlation were obtained for different wool traits, viz. greasy fleece yield (GFY), staple length at six month (SL), medullation percentage (MED) and fiber diameter (FD) in Bharat Merino Sheep developed and maintained at the Central Sheep & Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, India. Twenty years data were analyzed by restricted maximum likelihood (REML) fitting univariate and bivariate animal models. Additive genetic variability for all the traits was low except greasy fleece yield (h2 = 0.16). Permanent environmental variance as a proportion of phenotypic variance (c2) for GFY was 0.26. Genetic correlation between GFY and SL was 0.21, between SL and MED 0.19 and SL and FD 0.20. For further genetic improvement in this breed, MED and FD should be kept restricted at present level (MED: 18.08μ and FD: 1.25%) and emphasis should be given on GFY and SL, which are positively (favorably) associated with each other.
Wool traits, genetic parameters, Bharat Merino sheep
