2022 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 313-321
The objective of this study was to estimate breeding values and genetic parameters for predicted nitrogen excretion, phosphorus excretion and methane-related traits (predicted environment-related traits) and to investigate the relationships between the predicted environment-related traits and 4 residual feed intake (RFI) traits. The environment-related traits were predicted using the records (phenotypic values) such as initial and final body weights, average daily gain, and intakes of total digestible nutrient (TDN), crude protein (CP), concentrate and roughage collected from Japanese Black bulls’ performance test (112 days) scheme from 2007 to 2020. The records of Japanese Black bulls used for analyses were 2,729, 1,111 and 1,400 for predicted nitrogen excretion, phosphorus excretion and methane-related traits, respectively. The heritability estimates for the predicted environment-related traits were moderate to high (ranged from 0.40 to 0.59). The genetic relationships among estimated breeding values (EBVs) of predicted nitrogen excretion, phosphorus excretion and methane production were positive and favorable. There were positive and favorable genetic relationships between predicted nitrogen excretion and RFI(CP) and between predicted methane production and RFI(TDN). Our results suggest that the predicted environment-related traits are heritable and decreases of the environmental-related traits could be expected through the selection of bulls based on some RFIs.
