Estimation of the genetic parameters of sheep growth traits based on machine vision acquisition
Q. Qin,
C.Y. Zhang,
Z.C. Liu,
Y.C. Wang,
D.Q. Kong,
D. Zhao,
J.W. Zhang,
M.X. Lan,
Z.X. Wang,
S.H. Alatan,
I. Batu,
X.D. Qi,
R.Q. Zhao,
J.Q. Li,
B.Y. Wang,
Z.H. Liu
Affiliations
Q. Qin
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory Of Mutton Sheep and Goat Genetics And Breeding, Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
C.Y. Zhang
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Z.C. Liu
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Y.C. Wang
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
D.Q. Kong
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory Of Mutton Sheep and Goat Genetics And Breeding, Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
D. Zhao
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory Of Mutton Sheep and Goat Genetics And Breeding, Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
J.W. Zhang
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory Of Mutton Sheep and Goat Genetics And Breeding, Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
M.X. Lan
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Z.X. Wang
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
S.H. Alatan
East Ujumqin Sheep Original Breeding Farm, East Ujumqin Banner, China
I. Batu
East Ujumqin Sheep Original Breeding Farm, East Ujumqin Banner, China
X.D. Qi
Inner Mongolia Huawen Technology and Information Co. Ltd, Alatan Street, Saihan District Hohhot, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
R.Q. Zhao
Inner Mongolia Huawen Technology and Information Co. Ltd, Alatan Street, Saihan District Hohhot, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
J.Q. Li
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
B.Y. Wang
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University College of Computer and Information Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Z.H. Liu
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Animal Science Department, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018 Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Institute of Grassland Research of CAAS, No. 120 Ulanqab East Street, Saihan District, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830000, China; Key Laboratory Of Mutton Sheep and Goat Genetics And Breeding, Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs, Zhaowuda Road, No.8 Teaching and Research Building, 010018, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Corresponding author.
In the realm of animal phenotyping, manual measurements are frequently utilised. While machine-generated data show potential for enhancing high-throughput breeding, additional research and validation are imperative before incorporating them into genetic evaluation processes. This research presents a method for managing meat sheep and collecting data, utilising the Sheep Data Recorder system for data input and the Sheep Body Size Collector system for image capture. The study aimed to investigate the genetic parameter changes of growth traits in Ujumqin sheep by comparing machine-generated measurements with manual measurements. The dataset consisted of 552 data points from the offspring of 75 breeding rams and 399 breeding ewes. Six distinct random regression models were assessed to pinpoint the most suitable model for estimating genetic parameters linked to growth traits. These models were distinguished based on the inclusion or exclusion of maternal genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effects, and covariance between maternal and direct genetic effects. Fixed factors such as individual age, individual sex, and ewe age were taken into account in the analysis. The genetic parameters for the yearling growth traits of Ujumqin sheep were calculated using ASReml software. The Akaike information criterion, the Bayesian information criterion, and fivefold cross-validation were employed to identify the optimal model. Research findings indicate that the most accurate models for manually measured data revealed heritability estimates of 0.12 ± 0.15 for BW, 0.05 ± 0.07 for body slanting length, 0.03 ± 0.07 for withers height, 0.15 ± 0.12 for hip height, 0.11 ± 0.11 for chest depth, 0.13 ± 0.13 for shoulder width, and 0.53 ± 0.15 for chest circumference. The optimal models for machine-predicted data showed heritability estimates of 0.1 ± 0.09 for body slanting length, 0.14 ± 0.12 for withers height, 0.55 ± 0.15 for hip height, 0.34 ± 0.15 for chest depth, 0.26 ± 0.15 for shoulder width, and 0.47 ± 0.16 for chest circumference. In manually measured data, genetic correlations ranged from 0.35 to 0.99, while phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.07 to 0.90. In machine data, genetic correlations ranged from −0.05 to 0.99, while phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.03 to 0.84. The results suggest that machine-based estimations may lead to an overestimation of heritability, but this discrepancy does not impact the selection of breeding models.
