Genetic parameters in Finnish blue fox population: Pelt character and live animal grading traits

Abstract

Finnish blue fox farmers breed for increased litter size and pelt size, and improved fur quality. Some farmers select pelt size and fur quality indirectly using live animal evaluations (grading traits). In order to be able to define breeding goals properly, heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated for size traits and fur quality traits. There were four pelt character traits (pelt size, pelt colour darkness, pelt colour clarity and pelt quality) measured on dried skins, and six grading traits (animal size, grading colour darkness, grading colour clarity, underfur density, guard hair coverage and grading quality). The data included 54,680 animals born during the years 1987–2002, originating from seven farms. The heritabilities were high for pelt colour darkness and grading colour darkness, moderate for pelt size and low for other traits. In general, heritability of a pelt character trait was higher than its corresponding grading trait. Genetic correlations within the pelt character traits were low (～0.11) and within the grading traits mainly moderate or high (～0.44). There was high genetic correlation between pelt darkness and grading darkness, pelt quality and grading density, pelt size and animal size; between pelt quality and grading quality and between pelt colour darkness and grading guard hair coverage. This suggests that selection of pelt character traits via grading traits in most cases is relatively effective.     

Genetic variation in nutrient utilization and growth traits in picea abies seedlings

Genetic variation in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) utilization (amount of total biomass produced per unit nutrient in the needles) and growth traits in seedlings from 30 open‐pollinated families of Picea abies (L.) Karst. was estimated. Seedlings were grown under two nutrient regimens: free access to nutrients and restricted access. There was a strong treatment effect on most growth traits. With free access, families allocated relatively more biomass to the stem and less to the roots than they did with restricted access. Heritabilities for growth traits were higher with free access treatment (0.33–0.81) than with restricted access treatment (0.20–0.45). Family variance components for N and P utilization were significant (p < 0.05) with restricted access but not with free access. Genetic correlation between nutrient utilization and height traits with restricted access ranged from none to moderate ( — 0.31 to 0.56). Genetic correlations between the same trait assessed in the two treatments were strong for height and moderate for biomass.     

润楠属7个种木质部导管特征研究

指出了润楠属为樟科常绿植物,具有较高的经济价值,但其自然资源保护措施不到位,生理生态理论研究比较缺乏。对润楠属7个种的木质部导管特征,包括导管密度(CD)、导管面积(CA)和导管壁加固系数(CWR)进行了研究,试图寻找其相互关系,为润楠属的生理生态研究提供理论基础。结果表明:润楠属的导管密度与导管壁加固系数呈极显著正相关;导管面积与导管壁加固系数呈显著正相关;导管密度和导管面积不具有相关性。     

Within‐population variation in autumn frost hardiness and its relationship to bud‐set and height growth in Picea abies

Artificial freezing tests were performed with two sets of 12 full‐sib families of Picea abies. Each set was selected from a complete diallel cross performed within a natural population. Significant differences in autumn frost hardiness were observed between the two populations, which originate from the same altitude and longitude approximately 60 km apart. Substantial variation in frost hardiness was observed within both populations. Significant pheno‐typic correlations at the individual level were found between freezing injury and the two traits terminal bud‐set and height growth year one. However, no significant relationships were present between freezing injury and bud‐set at the family level, indicating that bud‐set cannot be used to predict autumn frost hardiness for families.     

黄河流域夏季降水与亚州季风的关系

利用1951-2009年600、850hPa 2.5°×2.5°NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和中国气象局整编的160站的降水资料,计算和分析了反映亚洲地区各个季风特征的指数序列及年代际变化。结果表明:夏季黄河流域降水与印度季风和高原季风关系密切,而与西北太平洋季风的关系不显著;印度季风偏强的年份,黄河流域降水偏多,而在印度季风偏弱的年份,黄河流域降水偏少;近59年来,印度季风指数与黄河流域降水同样具有2～3年、9～10年和21～22年的周期变化。     

Retention of applied p by volcanic ash soils ‐ influence on available p and soluble al

Abstract

Most fertilizer (and lime) recommendations are based on: i) a level of available nutrient (or pH) sufficient for at least near‐maximum crop yields and ii) an average rate of buildup of the available nutrient (or pH) per unit of fertilizer (or lime) added.

Soils differ widely in the rate of buildup of available nutrient per unit of added fertilizer. Soil type (or association) is generally not available for individual soil samples submitted for testing. Even if it were, research information is generally inadequate to adjust the recommendations with any great degree of accuracy on this basis alone. Thus it seems imperative that new tests and/or equilibrations for individual soil samples be developed to provide the information needed. Recent results by us and others seems to offer hope of success in such efforts.

Lime and fertilizer costs are a substantial portion of the total production costs in modern farming. Thus, it is important that the rates recommended be the best possible for the individual soil, crop, and farming situation. The question of how good our current recommendations are is examined, as is that of how they might be improved with some possible refinements. In order to be brief, use is made of charts, most of which have appeared in previous papers.     

Genetic parameters for strongyle and Nematodirus faecal egg counts in lambs and their relationships with performance traits

Genetic resistance to the gastro-intestinal parasites of lambs can contribute to sustainable systems of parasite control with associated benefits for health and welfare. This study reports estimates of the genetic parameters of strongyle egg counts (FEC), Nematodirus egg counts (NEM), faecal consistency scores (FCS) and their associations with growth and ultrasonic measurements of muscle (UMD) and fat (UFD) depths in lambs. The lambs were the progeny of 45 Bluefaced Leicester sires from Scottish Blackface and Hardy Speckled Face dams. Faecal samples were taken from lambs at 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 weeks of age, giving 1024 to 3055 records per trait. Live weight was recorded for all lambs at 16 weeks and live weight, UMD and UFD were recorded in female lambs at 28 weeks. Mean FEC and NEM were significantly higher for twin versus single reared lambs, for male castrate versus female lambs and for the offspring of Scottish Blackface versus Hardy Speckled Face ewes. Heritability estimates for FEC were low (0.04 ± 0.02 to 0.20 ± 0.08) and showed a non-significant trend to increase with age. The phenotypic correlations between measures of FEC at different ages were low (0.06 to 0.34) but genetic correlations were not significantly different from one in most cases. Heritability estimates of NEM ranged from 0.05 ± 0.03 to 0.09 ± 0.05 and genetic correlations among counts at different ages were not significantly different from zero. FEC and NEM were strongly correlated genetically (0.62 to 0.93) and estimates of the genetic correlations between FEC and NEM with live weights (− 0.36 to 0.23), UMD (− 0.35 to 0.25) and UFD (0.08 to 0.55) were variable in sign, though not significantly different from zero. Heritability estimates for faecal consistency scores (FCS) were 0.06 ±0.03 to 0.11 ± 0.04, with strong genetic correlations between successive measures. FCS was not significantly correlated with FEC or lamb performance traits. It is concluded that selection for reduced strongyle egg counts in lambs at around 5–6 months of age will give favourable correlated responses in NEM in lambs, with limited correlated response in lamb performance or faecal consistency scores.     

A reaction norm model approach to estimate the genetic effect of temperature on sportive performance of trotter horses

The performance results of Spanish Trotter Horses were merged with the information from the nearest official weather stations, to estimate the effects of temperature (T) on speed during the day of the race. The resulting data set included: 104 125 individual results from 7653 races with 3772 participant horses and driven by 1402 jockeys. After a classical repeatability animal model in which the effects of T were assumed null, a total of five different random regression models (RRM) with the same fixed part were applied in a parsimonious nested process in which the (co)variance components for each random effect were estimated considering homo/heterogeneous responses across the trajectory of T during the race. The results demonstrate that performance is better when T increases from 4°C to 12°C, followed by a comfort zone (12–19°C) and a light but more stressful zone (>20°C). A significant change in the T during 20 years (+4°C) was observed whilst the speed of the race improved by +2.1 m/s during the same period. The information criterion (LogL, AIC and BIC) confirmed the existence of heterogeneity of (co)variance components along the trajectory of T scale. The model in which T effect was assumed non‐constant across the T scale for animal genetic effects; the individual environmental permanent effects and the jockey effects fit the data better. Heritability had higher values (0.19–0.20) when T was <12°C and slightly decreases within the comfort and stressful zones. Genetic correlations were high and, as was expected, it decreases when difference between T increases. The best 150 animals for speed during the comfort zone were selected according to the Expected Breeding Value (EBV) estimated with the best RRM, and important variations were detected in the evolution of EBV across the trajectory of T. The presence of a genetic base related to T effect during the race in this type of performance is demonstrated.