Genomic analysis of genotype-environment interaction in age at first calving of Murrah buffaloes.

Age at first calving (AFC) is a measure of sexual maturity associated with the start of productive life of dairy animals. Additionally, a lower AFC reduces the generation interval and early culling of females. However, AFC has low heritability, making it a trait highly influenced by environmental factors.

Effects of aeration and season of the year on fish waste composting and compost quality.

Employing forced aeration (FA) in composting static windrows (SW) from fish waste (FW) has the potential to enhance the development of process and, organic fertiliser quality. However, due to the impact of season, the FA may lead to excessive drying of SW and, difficulty in thermophilic temperature maintenance. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of passive aeration (PA) and FA on the composting of FW in SW during the summer and winter seasons.

Identification of genomic regions related to age at first calving and first calving interval in water buffalo using single-step GBLUP.

In Brazil, water buffaloes have been used to produce milk for mozzarella cheese production. Consequently, the main selection criterion applied for the buffalo genetic improvement is the estimated mozzarella yield as a function of milk, fat and protein production. However, given the importance of reproductive traits in production systems, this study aimed to use techniques for identifying genomic regions that affect the age at first calving (AFC) and first calving interval (FCI) in buffalo cows and to select candidate genes for the identification of QTL and gene expression studies.

Estimation of (co)variance components for birth weight in Nellore cattle using alternative data editing criteria.

The aim of this study was to estimate the (co)variance components and breeding values for birthweight (BW) in Nellore cattle by considering or not identical weights that exhibit a high frequency within the contemporary group (CG). A total of 175,258 BW records of Nellore cattle born between 2002 and 2018 were used. The CG was formed by farm, year of birth, sex and feeding regime at birth.

Analysis of the population structure of buffaloes in Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the population structure of Brazilian buffaloes using of pedigree information. The pedigree used in the analyses included records of 16,915 animals. The population parameters were obtained through the ENDOG software.