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Genotype by Environment Interactions in Hereford Cattle: I. Reproductive Traits¹

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brooksville, FL, 33512, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Gainesville, 32601 and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Miles City 59301

Abstract

Genotype by environment interactions involving the reproductive performance of different lines of Hereford cattle in the contrasting environments of Brooksville, FL and Miles City, MT, were studied in a cooperative, interregional project from 1961 through 1974. During phase 1 of the study, performance of two unrelated lines (M₁ and F₆), previously developed at the two stations, were compared at each of the two locations. Simultaneously, a derivative of M₁ cattle (F₄) was selected for performance in Florida. Reproductive performance of these related lines (M₁ and F₄) were compared at each of the two locations during phase 2 of the study.

Line by location interaction effects were highly significant for pregnancy and weaning rates during both phases of the study. In phase 1, the advantage of the local over the introduced lines was 6.7 (P<.01) for pregnancy percentage and 6.1 (P<.01) for weaning percentage. Corresponding values for phase 2 were 11.6 (P<.01) and 12.5 (P<.01), respectively. These results suggest that genetic adapation to the local environment is important in beef cattle production and should be considered in designing commercial breeding programs.

¹ This work was conducted as an interregional effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, SEA, AR, and the State Agricultural Stations of Florida and Montana. The cattle were located at the Brooksville Beef Cattle Research Station, Brooksville, FL, and the Range and Livestock Experiment Station, Miles City, MT under Regional Projects S-10 and WRCC-1, Published as Florida Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Series No. 1211.

² Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Gainesville.

³ Brooksville Beef Cattle Research Station, SEA, AR, Brooksville, FL.

⁴ Livestock and Range Research Station, SEA, AR, Miles City, MT.

⁵ U.S. Department of Agriculture, SEA, AR, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville.

⁶ Appreciation is expressed to J. S. Brinks, N. M. Kieffer, R. S. Temple, E. J. Warwick and F. S. Wilson for contributions during initiation of the project and to B. W. Knapp and J. J. Urick for data collection and livestock management.

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