Morphometric Traits Research Articles

Multi-trait association study identifies loci associated with tolerance of low phosphorus in Oryza sativa and its wild relatives

We studied variation in adaptive traits and genetic association to understand the low P responses, including the symbiotic association of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal colonization in Oryza species (O. sativa, O. nivara, and O. rufipogon). In the present experiment, we performed the phenotypic variability of the morphometric and geometric traits for P deficiency tolerance and conducted the association studies in GLM and MLM methods. A positive association between the geometric trait of the top-view area and root traits suggested the possibility of exploring a non-destructive approach in screening genotypes under low P. The AMOVA revealed a higher proportion of variation among the individuals as they belonged to different species of Oryza and the NM value was 2.0, indicating possible gene flow between populations. A sub-cluster with superior-performing accessions had a higher proportion of landraces (42.85%), and O. rufipogon (33.3%) was differentiated by four Pup1-specific markers. Association mapping identified seven notable markers (RM259, RM297, RM30, RM6966, RM242, RM184, and PAP1) and six potential genotypes (IC459373, Chakhao Aumbi, AC100219, AC100062, Sekri, and Kumbhi Phou), which will be helpful in the marker-assisted breeding to improve rice for P-deprived condition. In addition, total root surface area becomes a single major trait that helps in P uptake under deficit P up to 33% than mycorrhizal colonization. Further, the phenotypic analysis of the morphometric and geometric trait variations and their interactions provides excellent potential for selecting donors for improving P-use efficiency. The identified potential candidate genes and markers offered new insights into our understanding of the molecular and physiological mechanisms driving PUE and improving grain yield under low-P conditions.

Evaluation of sexual dimorphism on the basis of morphometric traits in Talysh toad, Bufo eichwaldi (Litvinchuk, Borkin, Skorinov & Rosanov, 2008), along with the evaluation of the conservation status of the species

Evaluation of sexual dimorphism on the basis of morphometric traits in Talysh toad, Bufo eichwaldi (Litvinchuk, Borkin, Skorinov & Rosanov, 2008), along with the evaluation of the conservation status of the species

Phenotypic correlation of body weight and morphometric measurements of two breeds of rabbit

A total of one hundred (100) matured rabbit of 4 to 6 months of age with weight ranging from 1.4 to1.8 kg comprising of New Zealand White (NZW) and Dutch (DUT) breeds were used for the study to evaluate phenotypic correlation of body weight and morphometric traits. They comprise of forty-nine (49) New Zealand White rabbits (13 males and 36 females) and 51 Dutch breed comprising of 21males and 30 females. The experimental design used for the study was completely randomized design and the statistical analysis used was analysis of variance. The body weight and the morphometric traits measured were determined using digital weighing scale and flexible tape in kilograms and centimeters respectively. The data measured were body weight (BW), body length (BL), nose to shoulder length (NSL), heart girth (HG), height at withers (HW), ear length (EL), leg length (LL), tail length (TL) and height of the rabbit (HR). Positive and highly significant (p<0.001) correlation was observed between body weight and body length (r=0.70**). This may indicate that selection for improvement of body weight may lead to an improvement in body length. Moderate and positive correlation (p<0.01) was observed between leg length (LL) and tail length (TL) r=0.26**, nose to shoulder length and tail length 0.36** respectively. Low correlation was observed between nose to shoulder length and leg length (r=0.19**). The results revealed that increase in LL may not necessarily lead to increase in NSL. The results of this study indicated positive and highly significant (p<0.001) correlations between some morphometric traits measured in Dutch and New Zealand White rabbits. This is an indication that increases in one trait may lead to an increase in the other corresponding trait for the positive correlation. Meanwhile, negative correlation was also observed in the study between body weight and height of rabbit (- 0.09), height at wither and tail length ( -0.11), heart girth and tail length (-0.08) and between heart girth and hearth at withers (-0.24). This implies that increase in one parameter led to decrease in the corresponding one. Therefore, selection for an increase in such a particular trait apparently leads to a decrease in the other corresponding trait.

Morpho-molecular diversity assessment of Indian kino (Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb.)

Tropical dry deciduous forests of central India harbours numerous socio-economically important tree species seriously threatened by biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we assessed the mopho-molecular variation in Pterocarpus marsupium, a medicinally important tree species. Analysis of morphological data revealed that in P. marsupium, tree height ranged from 5.0 m to 48 m, clear bole height from 2.0 m to 26.0 m and girth at breast height from 45.0 cm to 345.0 cm. It is also evident that all the investigated morpho-metric traits have large amount of variation. The high estimates of coefficient of variation were recorded for crown radius (58%) followed by girth at breast height (54%) and tree height (34%). Molecular diversity analysis using 20 inter simple sequence repeat markers detected 76.7% polymorphism indicating existence of moderately high amount of variability. The average values of genetic diversity indices were 1.67 for mean observed number of alleles (Na), 1.57 for effective number of alleles (Ne), 0.46 for Shannon's information index (I), and 0.32 for expected heterozygosity (He). Bayesian model-based STRUCTURE analysis revealed existence of two admixed genetic clusters of P. marsupium. Further, analysis of molecular variance suggests that most of the variation exists within (91%), rather than among clusters. Sara, Semariya, Lamta and Bahoriband populations were found to be appropriate candidates for initiating conservation measures. The overall results could be a valuable input for formulating effective and integrated in-situ and ex-situ conservation plan for this valuable forestry species.

A high-density genetic linkage map and QTL mapping for growth related traits in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), one of the most important freshwater food fish, has made a great contribution to freshwater aquaculture in China. Though a consensus linkage map of grass carp has been reported, the low marker resolution limited its application in fine mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) of commercially important traits. In this study, a high-density linkage map was constructed based on a full-sib F1 family of grass carp, which was further used for mapping QTL for five growth related traits: body weight (BWE), body length (BL), body width (BWI), body height (BH) and fatness (FN). This high-density genetic map was constructed with 3979 SNPs, consisting of 24 linkage groups (LGs). The total length of the linkage map was 1752.742 cM, with an average marker resolution of 0.44 cM. QTL mapping analysis detected two significant and 19 suggestive QTL for the five morphometric traits, distributed on 8 LGs. The phenotypic variations explained of these QTL ranged from 7.2% to 32.8%. Finally, comparative genomic analysis revealed that 23 out of the 24 LGs of grass carp showed high synteny with 23 chromosomes of zebrafish. Taken together, the high-density linkage map and the 21 growth-related QTL, provide valuable genomic resources for both marker-assisted selection (MAS) and comparative genomic studies in grass carp and its related species.

Udder and teat morphometry in relation to clinical mastitis in dairy cows.

The present study was undertaken to explore the association of occurrence of clinical mastitis with udder and teat morphometry in cattle. The relationship of nine udder and eight teat morphometric traits with the occurrence of clinical mastitis was analysed using a binomial logistic regression model. A significant association of the udder and teat morphometric traits with the occurrence of mastitis was observed both in Karan Fries and Sahiwal cattle. The rear udder height, rear udder width, udder width and fore udder attachment were found to be the important udder morphometric traits associated with the occurrence of mastitis. In both groups, mastitic animals had broader rear udder width, lower rear udder height and loose fore udder attachment with lengthy and thicker teats. The inclusion of udder and teat morphometric traits in the selection and breeding program of Karan Fries and Sahiwal cattle may help in selection of animals for mastitis resistance.

A striking color variation is detected in Poneratestacea Emery, 1895 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) across its Western Palaearctic geographic range.

In this paper, we provide numeric morphology-based evidence that the dark-colored Poneracoarctatavar.lucida Emery, 1898, formerly considered a synonym of P.coarctata (Latreille, 1802), is conspecific with the lighter-colored Poneratestacea Emery, 1895. Species hypotheses are developed via NC-PART clustering, combined with Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART), and via PCA combined with gap statistics. We obtained our results from an extensive dataset from the 10 continuous morphometric traits measured on 165 workers belonging to 73 nest samples. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) confirmed the grouping of hypotheses generated by exploratory analyses with 100% classification success when all ten morphometric traits were involved. The Anatolian Turkish black and the predominantly European yellow samples, did not separate based on their morphometric characteristics. These two color variations broadly overlap in their geographic range in Anatolian Turkey. The investigated type series of Poneracoarctatavar.lucida Emery, 1898 (collected from Kazakhstan) fell within the P.testacea cluster instead of P.coarctata and is also classified with high certainty as P.testacea by confirmatory LDA. Therefore, we propose the synonymy of Poneracoarctatavar.lucida Emery, 1898 with Poneratestacea Emery, 1895. As no other morphological differences than color patterns were detected between the “black” and “pale” P.testacea samples, we hold that these populations constitute geographically occurring color variations of the same species. Finally, our quantitative morphology-based results show that relying on color patterns is not a robust approach in identifying European Ponera samples, particularly in the east, but using multivariate analyses of morphometric traits is advised instead.

Fine Scale Microevolutionary and Demographic Processes Shaping a Wild Metapopulation Dynamics of the South American Fruit Fly Anastrepha fraterculus.

Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedmann)is an important American pest species. Knowledge of its population dynamics is of particular interest for ecology, evolutionary biology, and management programs. In the present study, phenotypic, genotypic, and spatial data were combined, within the frame of landscape genetics, to uncover the spatial population genetic structure (SGS) and demographic processes of an Argentinian local population from the Yungas ecoregion. Eight simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci and six morphometric traits were analysed considering the hierarchical levels: tree/fruit/individual. Genetic variability estimates were high (HE = 0.72, RA = 4.39). Multivariate analyses of phenotypic data showed that in average 52.81% of variance is explained by the tree level, followed by between individuals 28.37%. Spatial analysis of morphological traits revealed a negative autocorrelation in all cases. SGS analysis and isolation by distance based on SSR showed no significant autocorrelation for molecular coancestry. The comparison between phenotypic (PST) and molecular (FST) differentiation identified positive selection in different fruits for all traits. Bayesian analysis revealed a cryptic structure within the population, with three clusters spatially separated. The results of this study showed a metapopulation dynamics. The genetic background of the components of this metapopulation is expected to change through time due to seasonality, repopulation activities, and high gene flow, with an estimated dispersal ability of at least 10km. Effective population size (Ne) of the metapopulation was estimated in around 800 flies, and within subpopulations (clusters) Ne was associated with the levels of genetic drift experienced by the founding lineages.

In pursuit of a better broiler: tibial morphology, breaking strength, and ash content in conventional and slower-growing strains of broiler chickens

This study was conducted to determine the differences in bone traits in 14 strains of broiler chickens differing in growth rate. The strains encompassed 2 conventional (CONV; ADG0-48 >60 g/d) and 12 slower-growing (SG) strains classified as FAST (ADG0-62 = 53–55 g/d), MOD (ADG0-62 = 50–51 g/d), and SLOW (ADG0-62 <50 g/d), with 4 strains represented in each SG category. A total of 7,216 mixed-sex birds were equally allocated into 164 pens (44 birds/pen; 30 kg/m2) in a randomized incomplete block design, with each strain represented in 8 to 12 pens over 2–3 trials. From each pen, 4 birds (2 males and 2 females) were individually weighed and euthanized at 2 target weights (TWs) according to their time to reach approximately 2.1 kg (TW1: 34 d for CONV and 48 d for SG strains) and 3.2 kg (TW2: 48 d for CONV and 62 d for SG strains). Tibiae samples were dissected, and length and diameter were recorded. Left tibiae were used for tibial breaking strength (TBS) at both TWs and tibial ash at TW2. At TW1, CONV birds’ tibiae were narrowest and shortest (P < 0.001), yet had similar TBS compared to the other categories (P > 0.69). At TW2, category (P > 0.50) had no effect on tibial diameter, yet CONV birds had the shortest tibiae (P < 0.001). The CONV birds had greater TBS:BW ratio than FAST and MOD birds at both TWs 1 and 2 (P < 0.039) and similar ash content as the other categories at TW2 (P > 0.220). At 48 d of age, CONV birds had the greatest absolute TBS (P < 0.003), yet lower TBS:BW ratio than SLOW birds (P < 0.001). Tibiae from CONV birds were longer than MOD and SLOW birds, and thicker in diameter than the other categories, yet CONV birds had the lowest dimensions relative to BW (P < 0.001) at 48 d, indicating a negative association between accelerated growth and tibial dimensions. These results indicate that differences in functional abilities among categories may be due to differences in morphometric traits rather than differences in bone strength and mineralization.

Evolution of flower allometry and pigmentation in Mammillaria haageana (Cactaceae)

BackgroundA puzzle in evolution is the understanding of how the environment might drive subtle phenotypic variation, and whether this variation is adaptive. Under the neutral evolutionary theory, subtle phenotypes are almost neutral with little adaptive value. To test this idea, we studied the infraspecific variation in flower shape and color in Mammillaria haageana, a species with a wide geographical distribution and phenotypic variation, which populations are often recognized as infraspecific taxa.ResultsWe collected samples from wild populations, kept them in the greenhouse for at least one reproductive year, and collected newly formed flowers. Our first objective was to characterize tepal natural variation in M. haageana through geometric morphometric and multivariate pigmentation analyses. We used landmark-based morphometrics to quantify the trends of shape variation and tepal color-patterns in 20 M. haageana accessions, belonging to five subspecies, plus 8 M. albilanata accessions for comparison as the sister species. We obtained eight geometric morphometric traits for tepal shape and color-patterns. We found broad variation in these traits between accessions belonging to the same subspecies, without taxonomic congruence with those infraspecific units. Also the phenetic cluster analysis showed different grouping patterns among accessions. When we correlated these phenotypes to the environment, we also found that solar radiation might explain the variation in tepal shape and color, suggesting that subtle variation in flower phenotypes might be adaptive. Finally we present anatomical sections in M. haageana subsp. san-angelensis to propose some of the underlying tepal structural features that may give rise to tepal variation.ConclusionsOur geometric morphometric approach of flower shape and color allowed us to identify the main trends of variation in each accession and putative subspecies, but also allowed us to correlate these variation to the environment, and propose anatomical mechanisms underlying this diversity of flower phenotypes.

Genomic diversity and signatures of selection in meat and fancy rabbit breeds based on high-density marker data

BackgroundDomestication of the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has led to a multi-purpose species that includes many breeds and lines with a broad phenotypic diversity, mainly for external traits (e.g. coat colours and patterns, fur structure, and morphometric traits) that are valued by fancy rabbit breeders. As a consequence of this human-driven selection, distinct signatures are expected to be present in the rabbit genome, defined as signatures of selection or selective sweeps. Here, we investigated the genome of three Italian commercial meat rabbit breeds (Italian Silver, Italian Spotted and Italian White) and 12 fancy rabbit breeds (Belgian Hare, Burgundy Fawn, Champagne d’Argent, Checkered Giant, Coloured Dwarf, Dwarf Lop, Ermine, Giant Grey, Giant White, Rex, Rhinelander and Thuringian) by using high-density single nucleotide polymorphism data. Signatures of selection were identified based on the fixation index (FST) statistic with different approaches, including single-breed and group-based methods, the latter comparing breeds that are grouped based on external traits (different coat colours and body sizes) and types (i.e. meat vs. fancy breeds).ResultsWe identified 309 genomic regions that contained signatures of selection and that included genes that are known to affect coat colour (ASIP, MC1R and TYR), coat structure (LIPH), and body size (LCORL/NCAPG, COL11A1 and HOXD) in rabbits and that characterize the investigated breeds. Their identification proves the suitability of the applied methodologies for capturing recent selection events. Other regions included novel candidate genes that might contribute to the phenotypic variation among the analyzed breeds, including genes for pigmentation-related traits (EDNRA, EDNRB, MITF and OCA2) and body size, with a strong candidate for dwarfism in rabbit (COL2A1).ConclusionsWe report a genome-wide view of genetic loci that underlie the main phenotypic differences in the analyzed rabbit breeds, which can be useful to understand the shift from the domestication process to the development of breeds in O. cuniculus. These results enhance our knowledge about the major genetic loci involved in rabbit external traits and add novel information to understand the complexity of the genetic architecture underlying body size in mammals.

Investigating Level of Inbreeding and Its Effects on Productive Traits of Napri X Broiler Chickens

Inbreeding refers to the mating together of individuals that are more closely related than would be the case if mating was at random. In this study, we investigate inbreeding and its effect on productive traits in NAPRI X broiler chickens. Traits measured were bodyweight and morphometric traits (Neck length, back length, keel length, breast length, thigh length and shank length). Pedigree information which consists of the base generation, 1060 (sire line) and 341 (dam line) birds; in generation 1, there were 565 (sire line selection), 859 (dam line selection), 433 (sire line control), and 592 (dam line control); and in generation 2, there were 595 (sire line selection), 764 (dam line selection), 457 (sire line control), and 654 (dam line control) were used to calculate inbreeding using J.M.P genomics software. Inbreeding significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced bodyweight and morphometrics in a positive direction (0.020 -1.052) though some of the traits are tending to zero. The trend in inbreeding coefficient was quadratic from the base generation to the second generation with a range of 0.38-0.81 in SLS, 0.41-0.96 in DLS, 0.51-0.80 in SCL and 0.30-1.03 in DCL. It is therefore concluded that there is a gradual build-up of inbreeding in NAPRI X population thus, the use of mate allocation programs is hereby recommended to put a limit or constraint on the level of inbreeding for the future progeny of NAPRI X broiler chickens.

Bursera fruit traits as drivers of fruit removal by flycatchers

Fruit size and shape are key traits that affect the interactions between plants and their seed dispersers within communities. Yet, the co-adaptive morphological links between fruits and bird seed dispersers within highly biodiverse Neotropical dry forests are still poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the morphometric fruit traits of Bursera, a group of dominant trees in tropical dry forests, and the morphometric body traits of flycatcher birds of the Tyrannidae family, their main seed dispersers. We found that the largest bird species primarily consumed large- and medium-sized fruits, while smaller birds targeted plants with small- and medium-sized fruits. Migratory flycatchers were the core species involved in Bursera fruit removal, except in Bursera species fruiting during the rainy season, when these birds are not present. Also, small-sized fruits with an oblong shape tended to be removed more frequently by small-sized birds, while large-oblong fruits tended to be more consumed by larger birds. According to body traits, bill width, tarsus, and wing length had significant effects on fruit removal. Wider-billed Tyrannus, Myiarchus, and Myiodynastes species removed almost half of the fruits. The Myiarchus genus showed the longest tarsus and removed up to 58% of all fruits. The Tyrannus species, which rely on flight to obtain food, showed the greatest wing length. Our findings suggest that morphological traits of Bursera fruits such as shape and size may be fitted to interact with the body traits of their bird dispersers. Studies on seasonally dynamic bird-plant interactions are crucial for a better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary drivers in Neotropical dry forests.

Genomic prediction of morphometric and colorimetric traits in Solanaceous fruits.

Selection of high-performance lines with respect to traits of interest is a key step in plant breeding. Genomic prediction allows to determine the genomic estimated breeding values of unseen lines for trait of interest using genetic markers, e.g. single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and machine learning approaches, which can therefore shorten breeding cycles, referring to genomic selection (GS). Here, we applied GS approaches in two populations of Solanaceous crops, i.e. tomato and pepper, to predict morphometric and colorimetric traits. The traits were measured by using scoring-based conventional descriptors (CDs) as well as by Tomato Analyzer (TA) tool using the longitudinally and latitudinally cut fruit images. The GS performance was assessed in cross-validations of classification-based and regression-based machine learning models for CD and TA traits, respectively. The results showed the usage of TA traits and tag SNPs provide a powerful combination to predict morphology and color-related traits of Solanaceous fruits. The highest predictability of 0.89 was achieved for fruit width in pepper, with an average predictability of 0.69 over all traits. The multi-trait GS models are of slightly better predictability than single-trait models for some colorimetric traits in pepper. While model validation performs poorly on wild tomato accessions, the usage as many as one accession per wild species in the training set can increase the transferability of models to unseen populations for some traits (e.g. fruit shape for which predictability in unseen scenario increased from zero to 0.6). Overall, GS approaches can assist the selection of high-performance Solanaceous fruits in crop breeding.

Morphological and Chemical Variation of Wild Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Populations

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill., Fagaceae) is one of the oldest cultivated tree species in the Mediterranean, providing multiple benefits, and, since it has edible seeds, it represents an interesting model species for the research of morphological and chemical variability. In this study, morphometric methods and chemical analyses were used to quantify the extent of differences in phenotypic and nutritional traits between eight natural populations of sweet chestnut from different environmental conditions, where different management types are applied, high-forest and coppice. The samples were collected from the Prealps in Italy to the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total, 31 nut and kernel morphometric and nutritional traits were studied on 160 trees, and various multivariate statistical analyses were used to study intra- and interpopulation variations. Both analyses, morphometric and chemical, revealed a similar pattern of diversity, with morphological and chemical variability not associated with geographic or environmental variables. In addition, we found significant correlations between morphometric and chemical data. High phenotypic variability was determined both among and within the studied populations, and all populations had a similar level of diversity. The results of the analysis of morphological and chemical diversity can have many practical applications for the management, production, and conservation of the sweet chestnut genetic resources for nut production.

Multivariate analysis of body weight, morphometric and thermo-physiological traits of indigenous pigs under tropical conditions

The study aimed at describing objectively the interdependence among the morphological and heat tolerance traits of Nigerian indigenous pigs and to predict body weight from conformation traits. Data on body weight, eight linear body measurements (BL, CG, CD, WH, RH, EL, SL and TL) and three thermo-physiological parameters were measured on 150 randomly selected pigs of three growth stages (piglets, growers and finishers) from February to December, 2020. The animals were managed in an extensive system in Plateau State, north central Nigeria. General linear model was used to study growth stage and sex effects including their interaction. Multivariate principal component analysis was used for the size, shape and heat tolerance determination while the animals were classified using canonical discriminant analysis. The stepwise regression was used for body weight prediction. The results showed that finishers had significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) body weight, body length, chest girth, chest depth, withers height, rump height, ear length, snout length and tail length, followed by growers while the least values were recorded in piglets. Pulse rate was not significantly different (P&gt;0.05) between piglets and finishers, although the latter had higher respiratory rate (39.48±0.53 vs. 39.90±0.53 vs. 36.77±0.75). However, rectal temperature was similar (P&gt;0.05) among the three pig categories. With the exception of tail length, sexual dimorphism was observed in all the morphometric traits with higher values recorded for males. However, the three thermo-physiological traits were not affected by sex (P&gt;0.05). BW was highly and positively correlated with most biometric traits (r = 0.80-0.93, 0.66-0.80 and 0.83-0.93; P&lt;0.01 for piglets, growers and finishers, respectively). Three principal components (PC1, PC2 and PC3) were extracted for optimal balance of the animals. Withers height, ear length and body weight were found to be the most discriminating variables to separate the pig categories. Classification results showed that 100% of piglets, 96.7% of growers and 96.7% of finishers were correctly assigned to their distinct populations. The present Information could be exploited in devising appropriate management and breeding programs for tropically adapted pigs in Nigeria.

Phenotypic Characterization of Indigenous Goat Population in Southern, Ethiopia

Indigenous goat populations in Ethiopia contain a number of significant genetic features, including the ability to function better under limited input and climatic stress, resistance to viral illnesses and parasites, as well as heat stress. Molecular or phenotypic characterisation is required to offer comprehensive database information of variance among goat populations for sensible utilization of this crucial trait and goat resources. Even though genetic characterization for Arsi-Bale and Woyito-Guji breeds have been done, which are distributed in southern part of Ethiopia, due to overlapping of the distribution of these two breeds in the study area the present phenotypic characterization of indigenous goat was initiated. Despite the studies done, information on phenotypic characteristics and production systems of some indigenous goat populations in study area is still scanty. Besides, there was little intervention works so far on the improvement of production and productivity of local goat breeds in the area. A study was conducted at Abaya and Yirgachafe districts to characterize indigenous goat types phenotypically. Data were collected through field measurements and visual observation of qualitative traits. Totally 540 goats were used for metric and morphometric measurement. Results of the study revealed that the goat populations found in Abaya and Yirgachafe district were different characteristics which are physically Abaya goats were closest with Arsi-Bale whereas yirgachafee with Woyto-Guji which are mostly distributed goat breeds in southern Ethiopia. The dominant coat color pattern in study area was plain, patchy, and spotted with proportions of 55.19, 37.04, and 7.78% and 46.67, 38.89, and 14.44% in Abaya and Yirgachafee district respectively. A strong and positive correlation (r = 0.83, 0.76) was observed between heart girth and body weight for male and female goat populations respectively. Generally, the indigenous goat population has its own difference in its morphological and morphometric traits. Traits have their own economic contribution. Therefore, identifying these important traits for further genetic improvements, conservation and sustainable utilization of the genetic resources of the diversified goat population is important.

MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO GOAT BREEDS REARED IN SOUTH EAST OF ALBANIA

The study was conducted at the Agricultural Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Korca in South East area of Albania. Two imported goat breeds, Alpine and Saana not previously characterized were included in the study. Their characterization is of great importance, and the information provided is of great value, especially for the ATTC which use these breeds for the improvement of the local populations by crossbreeding. Morphometric measurements of 50 animals were analyzed. Both breeds have similar values of body measurements. All morphometric traits were positively correlated, where most of them were statistically significant. Body weight has the highest positive correlation with CC (0.763), which is statistically significant. The PCA of all morphometric parameters indicated that the three components accounted 80.1% of the cumulative variance. The PCA and discriminant analysis indicated admixture between breeds. A regression analysis was performed to predict the body weight from morphometric measurements, which indicated that HG and CBC were best fitted to the model with R2 (adj) values 66.87 and 65.29 respectively. The information obtained could be used by the ATTC in a near future for the the management, conservation, and for designing the breeding programes.

Sex determination from morphometry of sternal end of 4th rib at autopsy

Identification of an individual from skeletal remains is one of the important aspects of forensic examination. Determination of sex from the bones is one of the parameters which could help in the identification of the deceased in cases of mutilated or amputated body fragments brought for medico-legal examination. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sexual dimorphism of the sternal end of the right 4thrib based on morphometric traits like maximum superior-inferior height (SIH) & maximum anterior-posterior breadth (APB) in 200 dead bodies (100 male & 100 female) brought to the mortuary of Maulana Azad medical college and associated hospitals, Delhi. The results showed SIH has the highest sex differentiating potential with 88.5% accuracy compared to anterior-posterior breadth with 78.5% accuracy.

Effectiveness of the biodegradable product FitoBotryfun in improving the fruit quality of 'Čačanska Bestrna' blackberry

Blackberry (Rubus subgen. Rubus Watson) cultivar 'Čačanska Bestrna' has long been the most commonly grown blackberry cultivar in the Republic of Serbia, owing to its high adaptability to respective agro-environmental conditions. In recent years, in order to increase the production of biologically valuable food, the fruit growing technology has been directed towards the concepts of integral and organic production. Blackberry grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers.) is an economically significant agent of the disease, which during the ripening phase reduces fruit yield by about 30% each year. In this regard, the efficacy of the preventive and curative influence of foliar applied FitoBotryfun was examined for two consecutive years. Incidence of grey mould (degree of infection), morphometric traits (fruit weight and dimensions), chemical traits (soluble solids content, total and inverted sugars, and sucrose content) and fruit mineral nutrient content [macro-(Ca, Mg) and microelements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn)] were recorded. A high variability was found in the degree of infection between the different disease management practices (organic and conventional) and significant differences were found in the contents of sugars, Ca, Mg and Fe in the fruit. The variations over the years were observed for the same quality traits, except for fruit height. The results obtained suggest that the foliar application of FitoBotryfun during the growing season can be effective in reducing losses in the quality of blackberry fruit during ripening as well as negative effects of conventional control methods on human health and the environment.