Modeling lactation curve for genetic evaluation of Murrah buffaloes Sahoo Saroj Kumar1,*, Singh Avtar2, Dash Shakti Kant1, Ambhore G.S.3 ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132 001, Haryana, India 1Department of AGB, CoVS, GADVASU, Ludhiana 2Department of AGB, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal-132 001, Haryana, India 3CBF, Igatpuri, MAFSU, Nagpur, Maharashtra *Corresponding author's e-mail: sarojvet6804@gmail.com
Online published on 2 January, 2019. Abstract In this study, four lactation curve models viz. Gamma-type function (GF), Mixed log function (MLF), Exponential function (EF) and Polynomial regression function (PRF) were fitted to predict the weekly test-day milk yields pertaining to 961 Murrah buffaloes progeny of 101 sires spread over a period of 36 years (1977–2012) maintained at ICAR-NDRI, Karnal. The PRF was the best fit with highest R2 (99.3%) and lowest RMSE (0.3%) which was used subsequently to estimate the first lactation 305-day or less milk yield (FL305DMY) from weekly test-day milk yields. The sires were evaluated using four linear models viz. Least Squares(LSQ), Simple Regressed Least Squares (SRLS), Sire (BLUP-SM) and animal (BLUP-AM) models from actual as well as PRF predicted FL305DMYs. BLUP-AM was the most efficient, among the sire evaluation models, in predicting the breeding values. Sire evaluation on the basis of predicted data (using PRF) was similar to that on the basis of actual data indicating that the best fitted lactation curve function can be used as an alternative for early animal evaluation and reduction of generation interval. Top Keywords Lactation curve, Murrah buffalo, Sire evaluation, Test-day milk yields. Top |