Genetic correlation estimates between age at puberty and growth, reproductive, and carcass traits in young Nelore bulls

Abstract

The reduction of age at puberty in young bulls is an important issue to reduce the growing phase and promote substantial savings in production cost as well as to reduce the generation interval. This study aims to estimate genetic parameters for age at puberty in males (APM), growth, carcass, and reproductive-related traits in young Nelore bulls. Additionally, the direct and correlated response for growth, reproductive, and carcass traits were also estimated when a selection was applied for APM in such young bulls. APM was determined through evaluations carried out after weaning, using information from andrological clinical examination, ultrasound records, and scrotal circumference measurements. Records from 181,345 Nelore animals born between 2010 to 2017 were used. These animals were calves from 5,257 sires and 50,742 dams, and belonged to 18 farms located in the Midwest, Southeast, Northeast, and North regions of Brazil. The relationship matrix was built using information from 265,813 animals. The covariance components and the genetic parameters for APM, adjusted scrotal circumference at 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, adjusted weight at 210 (W210) and 450 (W450) days of age, age at first calving (AFC), ribeye area (REA), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), and rump fat thickness (RFT) were estimated using a linear animal model. A threshold animal model was used for Stayability (STAY) and early heifer pregnancy (PP30) traits. The heritabilities obtained were: 0.30 (APM), 0.33 (SC365), 0.37 (SC450), 0.14 (W210), 0.26 (W450), 0.08 (AFC), 0.29 (PP30), 0.19 (STAY), 0.32 (REA), 0.19 (SFT), and 0.28 (RFT). The genetic correlations estimates between APM and growth, reproductive, and carcass related traits were: -0.39 (SC365), -0.58 (SC450), -0.01 (W210), 0.08 (W450), 0.30 (AFC), -0.24 (PP30), 0.35 (STAY), 0.08 (REA), -0.05 (SFT), and -0.30 (RFT). The APM is a new approach to evaluate early sexual precocity in young bulls, and it would allow better identification of young candidates when compared to those selected based on scrotal circumference measures. Genetic progress is expected for APM in young bulls since it would favor the heifer's sexual precocity together with the dam's longevity without impacting growth and carcass traits. The results of this study encourage the use of male sexual precocity trait assisted by genomic selection to improve the genetic evaluation reliability of young bulls.