Genetic and Phonotypic Trends for Somatic Cell Score and Determination of Effective Environmental Factors on this Trait in Iranian Holstein Cows

Document Type : Scientific - Research Articles

Authors

Hadi Faraji-Arough ¹

Ali Asghar Aslaminejad ²

Mohammad Rokouei ³

¹ Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

² Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

³ Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Zabol University, Zabol, Iran

10.22067/ijasr.v3i4.12554

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic and phonotypic trends of Somatic Cell Score in Iranian
Holstein cows. Also, the environmental factors affecting this trait are investigated. A total of 375351 test day
records of somatic cells take from 54374 animals between year 2002 and 2007 were used in this study. The
breeding values were estimated by fitting animal model in ASREML software. Genetic and phonotypic trends
were estimated by regression of phonotype and breeding value means on year of calving. SAS software was used
for estimation of genetic, phonotypic trends and effect of environmental factors. The heritability, genetic and
phonotypic trends for Somatic Cell Score were 0.082 ± 0.009, 0.013 ± 0.002 and -0.224 ± 0.103, respectively.
The genetic trend was significant and different from zero but phonotypic trends were not significant. Effects of
herd, year, interactions between herd and year, herd and season, year and season of calving were also
significant however the effects of season of calving were not.

Keywords

Genetic and phenotypic trend

Environmental factors

Somatic Cell Score

---