CORRELATION OF LINEAR TYPE TRAITS WITH MILK YIELD IN NILI RAVI BUFFALOES OF PAKISTAN

R. H. Mirza¹, A. Waheed¹, M. Akhtar², M. A. Khan³, S. M. R. Dilshad⁴ and A. Faraz¹

¹Department of Livestock and Poultry Production, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; ²Buffalo Research Institite, Pattoki, Distt. Kasur, Pakistan; ³Department of Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur- 63100, Pakistan; ⁴Gomal College of Veterinary Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Corresponding Author’s Email: riazmirza71@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Nili Ravi buffaloes are considered black gold being highest milk producers in the world. The study was performed for genetic evaluation of linear type traits and explore their relationships with milk production traits of Nili Ravi buffaloes. Data on Nili Ravi Buffaloes (n=437) present at 5 experimental livestocks farms in Punjab, Pakistan were recorded for linear type traits follwoing ICAR gudelines and adopting a linear scale of 1-9 during 2010-2012 encompassing 1180 records for each trait. A mixed effect model was applied where herd, year, parity, season were fitted as fixed effects and age as covariable. All analyses were performed by using Proc GLM of the SAS software. Variance components were estimated by ASREML software and genetic parameters were computed by post-processing. Least square means for linear scores of stature, chest width, body depth, angularity, rump angle and rump width were 5.07±1.35, 5.23±2.35, 5.41±1.49, 5.76±0.98, 6.73±1.53, 4.91±1.85, respectively. Corresponding genetic correlations (r2G) of linear scores of the traits with test day milk yield were 0.57±0.05, 0.09±0.02, 0.31±0.04, 0.06±0.02, 0.15±0.03 and 0.30±0.05, respectively while with 305 days milk yield were 0.14±0.00, 0.04±0.00, 0.21±0.00, 0.02±0.00, 0.11±0.00 and 0.19±0.00, respectively. It was found that some of traits (stature, body depth and rump width) had considerable amount of r2G with milk yield. It is therefore suggested that any selection model for Nili Ravi buffalo must contain these useful linear type traits.

https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2020.4.0091                                                                             
Published online April  25, 2020