Wool production of North-East Bulgarian Merino sheep

Nevyana Stancheva, Jivko Krastanov, Georgi Kalaidzhiev

Abstract: The aim of the study was to analyze the development trends, the general genetic variance and the genetic effects for some wool productivity traits in North-East Bulgarian Merino sheep with distinct participation of AM and Bo breeds in the genotype. The study included 584 pedigrees, 334 records for wool production and 325 records for yield and amount of clean wool of ewes, reared in the Scientific Center for Agriculture – Targovishte. An animal model was used to achieve an unbiased estimate. The genetic trend for the wool production trait was declining in the potential of animals. The tendency for the phenotypic realization of the trait was also unfavorable. For the yield of wool and the amount of clean wool, the observed general genetic tendency was positive, accompanied by a strong negative tendency for the phenotypic changes of both traits. The main part of the genetic variance for the wool production trait was due to the individual ability of the animals – 1.478 compared to 0.074 for the variance caused by heterosis. The proportion of the genetic variance resulting from the different breed combination in the genotype of the individuals was also low – 0.029 compared to 0.585 for the individual genetic variant. The variability was also low for the other two traits of the variance caused by heterosis – 23.687 at 0.001 for the yield and 0.122 at 0.001 for the amount of clean wool. The values of the genetic variation resulting from the different breed combination in the genotype of the individuals were low (0.002 versus 0.402 for the yield and 0.002 versus 0.147 for the individual genetic variance for the amount of clean wool).

Keywords: additive and non-additive effects; animal model; genetic variance; North-East Bulgarian Merino Sheep; wool production

Date published: 2020-10-09