• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.661-668
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• 2007

Data on 1,037 Nili-Ravi buffaloes from four institutional herds were used to study lifetime milk yield, herd life, productive life and breeding efficiency. A general linear model was used to study the environmental effects while an animal model having herd, year of birth and age at first calving (as covariate) along with random animal effect was used to estimate breeding values. The lifetime milk yield, herd life, productive life and breeding efficiency averaged $7,723{\pm}164$ kg, $3,990{\pm}41$ days, $1,061{\pm}19$ days and 64 percent, respectively. All the traits were significantly (p<0.01) affected by the year of birth and herd of calving, while the herd life was also affected (p<0.01) by the age at first calving. The heritabilities for lifetime milk yield, herd life, productive life and breeding efficiency were $0.093{\pm}0.056$, $0.001{\pm}0.055$, $0.144{\pm}0.079$ and 0.001, respectively. The definition for productive life, where each lactation gets credit upto 10 months had slightly better heritability and may be preferred over the definition where no limit is placed on lactation length. The genetic correlation between productive life and lifetime milk yield was low but high between productive life and herd life. The selection for productive life will increase herd life while lifetime milk yield will also improve. The overall phenotypic trend during the period under the study was negative for lifetime milk yield (-280 kg/year), herd life (-93 days), productive life (-42 days/year) and breeding efficiency (-0.36 percent/year), whereas the genetic trend was positive for lifetime milk yield (+15 kg/year) and productive life (+4 days/year).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1259-1265
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• 2015

The present study was performed to study the genetic relationship of productive life with production and type traits of Korean Holsteins at first three lactations. The data for the analysis from 56,054, 28,997, and 11,816 animals of first, second and third parity cows which were born from 2006 to 2011 were collected by Dairy Cattle Improvement Center, National Agricultural Co-operative Federation. Milk, protein and fat yields adjusted for 305 days and average somatic cell score considered as production traits and analyzed type traits were stature, strength, body depth, dairy form, rump angle, rump width, rear leg side view, foot angle, front attachment placement, rear attachment height, rear attachment width, udder cleft, udder depth, front teat placement and front teat length. A multi trait genetic analysis was performed using Wombat program with restricted maximum likelihood animal model composed of fixed effect of birth year, farm and the random effect of animal and random residual effect according to the traits. Heritability estimates of productive life were between 0.06 and 0.13. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between production and productive life traits ranged from 0.35 to 0.04 for milk, 0.16 to 0.05 for protein and 0.18 to 0.02 f 15-0034 (2nd) 150520 or fat. Somatic cells score showed a negative genetic and phenotypic correlation with productive life and also udder type traits, indicating that the selection for higher udder traits will likely to improve resistance to mastitis and persistence in the herd. Among all dairy form type traits, udder characters such as udder cleft showed a significant relationship with productive life. However, a specific change of heritabilities or correlations were not observed with the change of parity. Moreover, further studies are needed to further confirm the significance of the above traits and the effect of parity on above relationships in order to minimize both voluntary and involuntary culling rates while improving herd health and maintaining high yielding dairy cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1222-1228
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• 2016

The objective of this research was to estimate genetic parameters and trends for length of productive life (LPL), lifetime number of piglets born alive (LBA), lifetime number of piglets weaned (LPW), lifetime litter birth weight (LBW), and lifetime litter weaning weight (LWW) in a commercial swine farm in Northern Thailand. Data were gathered during a 24-year period from July 1989 to August 2013. A total of 3,109 phenotypic records from 2,271 Landrace (L) and 838 Yorkshire sows (Y) were analyzed. Variance and covariance components, heritabilities and correlations were estimated using an Average Information Restricted Maximum Likelihood (AIREML) procedure. The 5-trait animal model contained the fixed effects of first farrowing year-season, breed group, and age at first farrowing. Random effects were sow and residual. Estimates of heritabilities were medium for all five traits ($0.17{\pm}0.04$ for LPL and LBA to $0.20{\pm}0.04$ for LPW). Genetic correlations among these traits were high, positive, and favorable (p<0.05), ranging from $0.93{\pm}0.02$ (LPL-LWW) to $0.99{\pm}0.02$ (LPL-LPW). Sow genetic trends were non-significant for LPL and all lifetime production traits. Sire genetic trends were negative and significant for LPL ($-2.54{\pm}0.65d/yr$; p = 0.0007), LBA ($-0.12{\pm}0.04piglets/yr$; p = 0.0073), LPW ($-0.14{\pm}0.04piglets/yr$; p = 0.0037), LBW ($-0.13{\pm}0.06kg/yr$; p = 0.0487), and LWW ($-0.69{\pm}0.31kg/yr$; p = 0.0365). Dam genetic trends were positive, small and significant for all traits ($1.04{\pm}0.42d/yr$ for LPL, p = 0.0217; $0.16{\pm}0.03piglets/yr$ for LBA, p<0.0001; $0.12{\pm}0.03piglets/yr$ for LPW, p = 0.0002; $0.29{\pm}0.04kg/yr$ for LBW, p<0.0001 and $1.23{\pm}0.19kg/yr$ for LWW, p<0.0001). Thus, the selection program in this commercial herd managed to improve both LPL and lifetime productive traits in sires and dams. It was ineffective to improve LPL and lifetime productive traits in sows.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1151-1161
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to estimate the association of age at first calving (AFC) with first lactation traits as well as lifetime performance traits in Murrah buffaloes. Methods: Data on first lactation and life time performance of Murrah buffaloes (n = 679), maintained at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period 1983 through 2017, were deduced to calculate heritability estimates, genetic and phenotypic correlation of different first lactation and lifetime traits. The univariate animal model was fitted to estimate variance components and heritability separately for each trait, while bivariate animal models were set to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits under study. Results: The heritability was high for first peak milk yield (FPY, 0.64±0.08), moderate for AFC (0.48±0.07) and breeding efficiency (BE 0.39±0.09). High genetic correlations of first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY) with first lactation standard milk yield (FLSMY, 305 days or less), FPY, and first lactation length (FLL) was seen. Likewise, genetic correlation of AFC was positive with FLTMY, FLL, first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI), herd life (HL) and productive days (PD). Significant phenotypic correlation of FLTMY was observed with HL, productive life (PL), PD, total lifetime milk yield (LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY). Moreover, positive genetic and phenotypic correlation of FPY was observed with HL, PL, PD, total LTMY and standard LTMY. Conclusion: This study reports that AFC had positive genetic correlation with FDP, FSP, FCI, and unproductive days while, negative association of AFC was observed with FLSMY, PL, total LTMY, standard LTMY, and BE. This suggests that reduction of AFC would results in improvement of lifetime performance traits.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Marine algae is a productive organism that is consumed as a nutritious food. However, large amounts of unused portions of the algae are incinerated as trash or dumped in the sea, causing pollution. Recycling algae is important for saving resources and conserving the environment. In this study, the fucoidan which is a major carbohydrate of marine algae was tested as a source of fertilizer for farming. METHODS AND RESULTS: The growth rate of the melon was examined after treating fucoidan and the melon growth factors, weight and length of stem were measured. To discover the mechanism of melon growth promotion of fucoidan, bacteria that decomposed fucoidan were isolated from soil and abalone. Bacillus wiedmannii and Stenotrophomonas pavanii were isolated from terrestrial soil and Pseudomonas sp. was isolated from abalone. Among these three bacteria, Pseudomonas sp. had the highest and most specific fucoidan-decomposing activity. When Pseudomonas sp. was treated with fucoidan on melon-growing soil, the growth of melon was relatively improved compared to the treatment with fucoidan alone. CONCLUSION: We found that fucoidan, the main carbohydrate of marine algae, promoted melon growth. Fucoidan-decomposing microorganisms were isolated from terrestrial soil and marine organism, and we found that these bacteria stimulated the effect of melon growth promotion of marine algae. This is the first report that confirms the fertilizer effect of marine algae and shows the use of bacteria with marine algae.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.769-775
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• 2008

This study was on the relative net income (RNI) for 18,286 Iranian Holstein cows from 799 herds, with first freshening between 1991 and 2000. Two kinds of production system, which differed mainly in milk pricing system and feed cost, were considered. Four different models adopted from the literature were examined to find the optimum model. They differed by the cost of rearing and growth after first calving and they needed different amounts of economic data at the farm level. Results showed that four measures of RNI were highly correlated (>0.96) and could be used equally to measure lifetime profitability of cows. Therefore, in herds without a regular system for recording economic and management data, use of the simplest model is recommended. Multiple regression analysis revealed that RNI was affected by age at first freshening, milk yield and days of productive life (DPL), regardless of production system, and a similar breeding goal could be defined for the two systems. Multiple regression analysis of RNI showed that in order to obtain an unbiased estimate of economic value for DPL, the per day milk yield, not total lifetime milk yield, should be included in the regression model along with DPL. Regression analysis suggested that it is possible to predict RNI using information on age at first freshening along with the length of first lactation and per day milk yield with a coefficient of determination ranging from 0.44 to 0.47.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.686-691
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• 2005

Prolactin is considered to influence the taking of pauses in between ovulatory sequences in White Leghorn hens. Therefore modulating concentrations of prolactin using bromocriptine - a dopamine agonist during early life (17 to 36 weeks of age) could overcome the inhibitory effects of high concentration of prolactin on ovarian activity. The effect of modulation of prolactin concentration on egg production, sequence length and inter sequence pauses were studied by analyzing the oviposition records from 19 to 72 weeks were studied and compared with untreated controls. Bromocriptine administered subcutaneously (100 $\mu$g kg$^{-1}$ body weight or orally through feed (640 $\mu$g day$^{-1}$ bird$^{-1}$) resulted in a steady and sustained decrease in prolactin levels (p<0.01) during and after the withdrawal of treatment up to one reproductive cycle (72 weeks of age). The treated birds had comparatively longer sequences (p<0.01) and fewer pauses (p<0.01). Egg production increased (p<0.01) by fourteen per cent through subcutaneous administration and eleven per cent through oral feeding, over the control birds. It is concluded that the physiological pauses that occur during ovulatory sequences can be disrupted effectively using bromocriptine. Prolactin levels are modulated which may interfere with the follicular recruitment and subsequent oviposition thereby improve egg laying potential of the bird.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.587-595
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• 2022

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Bifidobacterium animalis, Agave fructans, and symbiotic of both encapsulated on growth performance, feed efficiency, blood parameters, and immune status in broiler chickens, and to compare these with diets including antibiotic growth promoters and without additives. Methods: A comparative experimental study was carried out with 135 male Ross 308 broiler chickens. Each trial was divided into 5 equal groups. Control group (CON) received a standard diet without growth promoter; GPA, a standard diet with colistin sulfate and zinc bacitracin (0.25 g/kg of feed); PRE, a standard diet with 1% Agave fructans; PRO, a standard diet with Bifidobacterium animalis (11.14±0.70 log CFU/g); SYM, a standard diet with B. animalis and Agave fructans. Results: A significant decrease in food consumption was found for the GPA, PRE, and SYM, compared to the CON group. The results show a better feed conversion index in PRE and GPA with respect to the CON group with the highest conversion index. Interestingly, the weight of the gastrointestinal tract shows a statistically significant difference between GPA and PRE groups. Moreover, the length of the gastrointestinal tract of the GPA group was less than the PRE group. In the total leukocyte count, there was a statistically significant increase in the GPA group compared to the CON, PRE, and PRO groups, and the heterophiles-lymphocytes index was lower in PRO. Regarding the cytokines, interleukin 10 (IL-10) decreased in PRO compared to CON and PRE, while IL-1β increased in the SYM group. Conclusion: Alternative treatments were shown to achieve similar productive results as growth-promoting antibiotics and showed improvement over diet without additives; however, they have immunomodulatory properties and improved the development of the gastrointestinal tract compared to the treatment of growth-promoting antibiotics.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2002

From March 1998 to August 2000, the phonology and morphometrics change of Zostera caespitosa Miki were examined at the Duksan Port in the eastern coast of Korea. Morphometric characteristics (shoot height, leaf length, sheath length, leaf width, and number of leaf per shoot), size and number of reproductive structures (spathe, spadix, and seeds), shoot density, biomass and physiochemical parameters (water temperature and nutrient concentrations) were measured. Significant differences between months (p < 0.05) existed for morphometric characteristics except for sheath length. The sequence of shoot heights clearly showed cyclical annual variation with water temperature. Vegetative shoots of Z. caespitosa were present throughout the year, but reproductive shoots were rarely occurred from mid January to early April in water temperature of $9-12^\circ{C}$. Flowering in the spathe began in mid February, and seed maturing was occurred in early April. Water column nitrate and phosphate concentration showed seasonal variation, but ammonia concentration was variable with season. Relationships between shoot morphometrics and physiochemical parameters were not significantly correlated but water temperature seemed to regulate the re-productive phase and annual life cycle. The mean shoot density and above biomass of the populations were $511.6\pm{25.6}\;shoots\;m^{-2}$ and $413.4\pm{19.8}\;g\;dry\;wt\;m^{-2}$, respectively.