Genetic Analysis of Productive Performance of Holstein Dairy Cows in Different Climate Regions of Iran

Document Type : Genetics & breeding

Authors

• Alireza Shahdadi
• Mojtaba Tahmoorespur

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

10.22067/ijasr.v9i1.42366

Abstract

Introduction The purpose of dairy cattle breeding is improvement of productive and fertility performance. The breeding of dairy cows was done to increase milk production, longevity, disease resistance and fertility efficiency. In most countries, importation of bulls’ semen with highly breeding values was increased. Global sales of semen expose progeny of sires to climates and production systems vastly different from their original selection environment. This may cause sire re-ranking because the progeny of some sires are not expected to perform to their optimum in every different environment. The objective of this study was to investigate 305 d milk yield and 305 d fat percentage performance of Holstein dairy cows under different climates of Iran.
Materials and Methods In this study, the records of 191910 first lactation Iranian Holstein (305 d milk yield and 305 d fat percentage) were used. These records were collected from 1368 herds during 2000 to 2011 by the Animal Breeding Center of Iran. Records from cows without pedigree information were excluded. Age at first calving was required to be between 20 and 40 month and calving interval between 300 and 600 d. According to weather conditions, geographical location of herds was classified to 5 climate groups (arid, semiarid, Mediterranean, semi humid and humid) via De Martonne method.
In this study, the models were developed based on data availability, literature evidence, genetic evaluation models that are used in other countries, and available computing facilities. Single-trait model for these traits was as follows:

where yijk denoted 305 d milk yield and 305 d fat percentage, µ was overall mean, HYSi was a combination of fixed effect of herd by year of calving by season of calving, b1 and b2 were linear regression coefficients of Holstein percentage and age at first calving, respectively, HF was the effect of Holstein percentage, Age was effect of age at first calving, aj was a random animal genetic effect and eijk was a random error term. Variance and covariance components were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood method using DMU program. Genetic and phonotypic trends were computed as a linear regression of yearly means on year of birth using the REG procedure of SAS 9.1.
Results and Discussion The average of 305 d milk yield was the highest in arid climate (7350.34±1558.29 kg) and was the lowest in humid climate (5578.66 ± 1024.2 kg). The higher 305 d milk yield in the arid climate can be due to better management conditions in these regions compared to other climates. It seems that high humidity in Mediterranean, semi humid and humid climates can intensify higher environmental temperature and thus management and control of diseases can be difficult that result in milk production depression in these climates. The estimated heritability ranged from 0.11 (Mediterranean climate) to 0.29 (arid climate) for 305 d milk yield. Logar et. al., (17) reported that additive genetic variance in environments with high milk production was higher than environments with low milk production. Thus, observed differences in additive genetic variance in the climates can be due to several factors including difference in level of herd yield, environmental variation, data size and management strategies in herds. In arid, semiarid, Mediterranean, semi humid and humid climates, genetic trends of 305 d milk yield was 22.20, 17.37, -0.074, 0.92 and -0.71, respectively. According to the results, it seems that genetic gain in herds of Mediterranean, semi humid and humid climates was very low.
Results showed that average 305 d fat percentage in Mediterranean climate was the highest and in semi humid was the lowest (3.44 ± 0.34% vs. 2.98 ± 0.56%). The estimated heritability for 305 d fat percentage was 0.11 (Mediterranean climate) to 0.29 (arid climate). It is concluded that small size of data in Mediterranean, semi humid and humid climates can lead to lower heritability. Also, differences in the estimated heritabilities in different climates can be due to difference in mean and coefficient of variations of 305 d fat percentage. Genetic trends of 305 d fat percentage was -0.0012, 1.23×10-5, 5×10-5, 0.0002 and -0.0004 for arid, semiarid, Mediterranean, semi humid and humid climates, respectively.
Conclusion According to differences in genetic parameters of traits in different climates, it seems that performance of cows was different, that can be due to genotype by environment interaction.

Keywords

• Climates of Iran
• Genetic parameters
• Holstein dairy cow
• Performance

20.1001.1.20083106.1396.9.1.8.4

---

References

1- Abe, H., Y. Masuda, and M. Suzuki. 2009. Relationships between reproductive traits of heifers and cows and yield traits for Holsteins in Japan. Journal of Dairy Science, 92:4055-4062.

2- Bahrami, A. 1997. Investigation of genetic and environment effect on milk yield and fat percentage of Isfahan dairy cows. MSc Thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. (In Persian).

3- Bryant, J. R., N. Lopez-Villalobos, J. E. Pryce, C. W. Holmes, D. L. Johnson, and D. J. Garrick. 2007. Environmental sensitivity in New Zealand dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 90: 1538-1547.

4- Burnside, E. B., G. B. Jansen., G. Civati, and E. Dadati. 1992. Observed and theoretical genetic trends in a large dairy population under intensive selection. Journal of Dairy Science, 75:2242-2253.

5- Carlen, E., K. Jansson, and E. Strundberg. 2005. Genotype by environment interaction for udder health traits in Swedish Holstein cattle. Page 13 in Proc. 5th Annual Meeting of European Association for Animal Production, Uppsala, Sweden.

6- Cromie, A. R. 1999. Genotype by environment interaction for milk production traits in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle in Ireland. PhD Thesis, Queens University Belfast.

7- De Martonne, E. 1926. Quoted by Thornthwaite, Pages 1-143 in Measurement of Evaporation from Land and Water Surface. C. M. b. Holzman ed. USDA technical Bulletin.

8- Eghbalsaied, S., M. Moradi Shahrbabak, and S. R. Miraei Ashtiani. 2009. Comparison of progeny’s production performance from internal and external Holstein bulls in different climatic condition of Iran. Journal of Research in Agricultural Science, 5(1): 113-121. (In Persian).

9- Esmaeilzadeh, A., S. R. Miraei Ashtiani, and Y. Rouzbahan. 2003. A study on milk and fat production and some reproductive traits of cows in dairy herds around Yazd. Journal of Animal Science, 15(3): 25-31. (In Persian).

10- Falconer, D. S, and T. F. C. Mackay. 1996. Introduction to Quantitative Genetics. 4th ed. Longman Group Ltd, Harlow, England.

11- Farhangfar, H., H. Naeemipour, and P. Rowlinson. 2005. Genetic analysis of lactation milk yield and age at first calving for Holstein heifers in Khorasan province of Iran. Proceedings of British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) annual conference, York University, United Kingdom.

12- Fatemi, M., H. NaeemipourYounesi., H. Farhangfar, and M. Badiei. 2008. Investigation of phenotypic trend of productive and reproductive traits of Holstein cows in Khorasan province. Page 269 in Proc. The 3rd Iranian Congress on Animal Science. (In Persian).

13- Foxpro. 1993. Holding, Inc., All right reserved, Patent Pending.

14- Galip, B, and A. Kaygisiz. 2004. Estimates of trends components of 305 days milk yield at Holstein cattle. Journal of Biological Science, 4: 486-488.

15- Gonzalez-Recio, O, and R. Alenda. 2005. Genetic parameters for female fertility traits and a fertility index in Spanish dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 88: 3282-3289.

16- Lofgren, D. L., W. E. Vinson., R. E. Pearson, and R. L. Powell. 1985. Heritability of milk yield at different herd-means and variance for production. Journal of Dairy Science, 68: 2737-2739.

17- Logar, B., S. Malovrh, and M. Kovac. 2007. Multiple trait of genotype by environment interaction for milk yield traits in Slovenian cattle. Pages 83-88 in Proc. The 15th International Symposium Animal Science Days. University of Osijek, Croatia.

18- Lopes-Villalobos, N., D. J. Garrick, and C. N. Holmes. 2001. Effects of importing semen of Holstein Friesian and Jersey bulls on the future profitability of an Argentine farm. Archivos de Zootecnia, 50: 311-322.

19- Madsen, P, and J. Jensen. 2008. DMU. A package for multivariate analyzing multivariate mixed models. Version 6. University of Aarhus, Faculty Agricultural Sciences (DJF), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Research Centre Foulum, Denmark.

20- Maijala, K, and M. Hanna, M. 1974. Reliable phenotypic and genetic parameters in dairy cattle. Pages 541-563 in Natl. Proceedings of the 1st World Congress on Genetics Applied Livestock Production, Madrid. Spain.

21- Mulder, H. A., A. F. Groen., G. De Jong, and P. Bijma. 2004. Genotype and environment interaction for yield and somatic cell score with automatic and conventional milking systems. Journal of Dairy Science, 87: 1487-1495.

22- Nafez, M., S. Zerehdaran., S. Hassani, and R. Samiei. 2012. Genetic evaluation of productive and reproductive traits of Holstein dairy cows in north of Iran. Iranian Journal of Animal Science Research, 4(1): 69-77. (In Persian).

23- Nazemosadat, M. J, and I. Cordery. 2000. On the relationships between ENSO and autumn rainfall in Iran. International Journal of Climatology, 20: 47-61.

24- Nikmanesh, A. 2010. Study of production and reproduction traits of Holstein dairy herd in Varamin. Iranian Journal of Animal Science Research, 2(1): 81-89. (In Persian).

25- Pahlavan, R, and A. Moghimi Esfanabadi. 2010. Study of production, reproduction and type traits in a Holstein population. Journal of Animal Science, 3(3): 1-12. (In Persian).

26- Pryce, J. E., M. P. Coffey, and S. Brotherstone. 2000. The genetic relationship between calving interval, body condition score and linear type and management traits in registered Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science, 83: 2664-2671.

27- Razavi, S. M., M. Vatankhah., H. R. Mirzaei, and M. Rokouei. 2008. Estimaton of genetic trends for production traits of Holstein cattle in Markazi province. Journal of Animal Science, 20(4): 55-62. (In Persian).

28- Saghi, D. A. 2001. Adaptation of Holstein dairy cattle to Iranian Environmental conditions. MSc Thesis. University of Tehran, Iran. (In Persian).

29- Salimi, F., M. Moradi Shahrbabak., Gh. Rahimi, and M. B. Sayadnejad. 2008. The performance of imported Holstein bulls for production traits in different climates of Iran. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 15(3): 209-213. (In Persian).

30- SAS Institute. 2000. SAS User’s Guide: Statistics, Version 9.1 Edition. Cary, NC, USA.

31- Savar Sofla, S, and M. Pasha Eskandari Nasab. 2008. Estimation of genetic parameters of production traits of Holstein cows in different climate regions of Iran. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 15(3): 152-158. (In Persian).

32- Shoja Ghias, J., N. A. Pirani., S. Alijani, and A. Ahmadi. 2003. Estimation of genetic, phenotypic and environmental parameters of milk production traits in Holstein dairy cattle of Moghan Co. Farm. Journal of Agriculture Science, 12(4): 13-22. (In Persian).

33- Stanton, T. L., R. W. Black., R. L. Quass, and L. D. Van Vleck. 1991. Response to selection of United States Holstein sires in Latin America. Journal of Dairy Science, 74: 651-664.

34- Toghyani, S., A. Shadparvar., M. Moradi Shahrbabak, and M. Dadpasand. 2009. Estimation of genetic parameters for first lactation production and reproduction traits in Iranian Holstein cows. Iranian Journal of Animal Science, 40(2): 69-76. (In Persian).

35- Van Vleck, L. D., M. C. Dong, and G. R. Wiggans. 1988. Genetic covariance for milk and fat yield in California, New York and Wisconsin for an animal model by restricted maximum likelihood. Journal of Dairy Science, 71: 3053-3060.