Genetic parameter estimates for male and female fertility traits using genomic data to improve fertility in Australian beef cattle
Babatunde S. Olasege
A B , Muhammad S. Tahir A B , Gabriela C. Gouveia C , Jagish Kour A , Laercio R. Porto-Neto B , Ben J. Hayes D and Marina R. S. Fortes A E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
B CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Saint Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
C Animal Science Department, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil.
D Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: m.fortes@uq.edu.au
Animal Production Science - https://doi.org/10.1071/AN21097
Submitted: 22 February 2021 Accepted: 1 June 2021 Published online: 3 August 2021
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Context: Studies have shown that favourable genetic correlations exist between female and male fertility traits. However, investigations regarding these correlations in Australian tropical beef cattle are limited to either pedigree or single-breed analysis.
Aim: The study aims to use genomic information to estimate genetic parameters of six female and seven male fertility traits measured during the first 2 years of life, in two tropical breeds.
Methods: Single-, bivariate and multi-trait models were used to analyse fertility data from Brahman (BB; 996 cows and 1022 bulls); and Tropical Composite (TC; 1091 cows and 998 bulls) cattle genotyped with high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism chip assay.
Key results: Heritability estimates in BB cows ranged from low (0.07 ± 0.04) for days to calving at the first calving opportunity (DC1, days) to high (0.57 ± 0.08) for age at first corpus luteum (AGECL, days). In BB bulls, estimates varied from low (0.09 ± 0.05) for sperm motility (score 1–5) to high (0.64 ± 0.06) for scrotal circumference (SC) measured at 24 months (SC24, cm). Similarly, heritability estimates in TC cows were low (0.04 ± 0.03) for DC1 and high (0.69 ± 0.02) for AGECL. In TC bulls, the heritability was low (0.09 ± 0.05) for sperm motility and high (0.69 ± 0.07) for SC24. Within-sex for both breeds, blood concentrations of insulin growth-factor 1 (IGF1) measured in cows at 18 months (IGF1c) were negatively correlated with female fertility phenotypes. In BB, across-sex, bulls’ blood concentration of IGF1 measured at 6 months (IGF1b) was a good indicator trait for the following four female traits: AGECL, the first postpartum anoestrus interval, age at first calving and DC1. In TC, IGF1b and percentage normal sperm were good predictors of female fertility phenotypes.
Conclusions: The heritability estimates and genomic correlations from the present study generally support and confirmed the earlier estimates from pedigree analyses. The findings suggest that selection for female fertility traits will benefit male fertility, and vice versa.
Implications: Heritability estimates and genomic correlations suggest that we can select for fertility traits measured early in life, with benefits within and across sex. Using traits available through veterinary assessment of bull fertility as selection indicators will enhance bull and cow fertility, which can lead to better breeding rates in tropical herds.
Keywords: genetic correlation, fertility, heritability, beef cattle, genomics.
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