Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-16T23:22:58.306Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Genetics of heat tolerance for milk yield and quality in Holsteins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

M. L. Santana Jr*
Affiliation:
Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário de Rondonópolis, MT-270, km 06, CEP 78735-901 Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil
A. B. Bignardi
Affiliation:
Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário de Rondonópolis, MT-270, km 06, CEP 78735-901 Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil
R. J. Pereira
Affiliation:
Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário de Rondonópolis, MT-270, km 06, CEP 78735-901 Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil
G. Stefani
Affiliation:
CRV Lagoa, Rodovia Carlos Tonani, km 88, CEP 14174-000, Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil
L. El Faro
Affiliation:
Centro de Pesquisas de Bovinos de Corte, Instituto de Zootecnia, Rodovia Carlos Tonani, km 94, CEP 14160-900, Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil
*
Get access

Abstract

Tropical and sub-tropical climates are characterized by high temperature and humidity, during at least part of the year. Consequently, heat stress is common in Holstein cattle and productive and reproductive losses are frequent. Our objectives were as follows: (1) to quantify losses in production and quality of milk due to heat stress; (2) to estimate genetic correlations within and between milk yield (MY) and milk quality traits; and (3) to evaluate the trends of genetic components of tolerance to heat stress in multiple lactations of Brazilian Holstein cows. Thus, nine analyses using two-trait random regression animal models were carried out to estimate variance components and genetic parameters over temperature–humidity index (THI) values for MY and milk quality traits (three lactations: MY×fat percentage (F%), MY×protein percentage (P%) and MY×somatic cell score (SCS)) of Brazilian Holstein cattle. It was demonstrated that the effects of heat stress can be harmful for traits related to milk production and milk quality of Holstein cattle even though most herds were maintained in a modified environment, for example, with fans and sprinklers. For MY, the effect of heat stress was more detrimental in advanced lactations (−0.22 to −0.52 kg/day per increase of 1 THI unit). In general, the mean heritability estimates were higher for lower THI values and longer days in milk for all traits. In contrast, the heritability estimates for SCS increased with increasing THI values in the second and third lactation. For each trait studied, lower genetic correlations (different from unity) were observed between opposite extremes of THI (THI 47 v. THI 80) and in advanced lactations. The genetic correlations between MY and milk quality trait varied across the THI scale and lactations. The genotype×environment interaction due to heat stress was more important for MY and SCS, particularly in advanced lactations, and can affect the genetic relationship between MY and milk quality traits. Selection for higher MY, F% or P% may result in a poor response of the animals to heat stress, as a genetic antagonism was observed between the general production level and specific ability to respond to heat stress for these traits. Genetic trends confirm the adverse responses in the genetic components of heat stress over the years for milk production and quality. Consequently, the selection of Holstein cattle raised in modified environments in both tropical and sub-tropical regions should take into consideration the genetic variation in heat stress.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilar, I, Misztal, I and Tsuruta, S 2009. Genetic components of heat stress for dairy cattle with multiple lactations. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 57025711.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aguilar, I, Misztal, I and Tsuruta, S 2010. Genetic trends of milk yield under heat stress for US Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 17541758.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Banos, G and Shook, GE 1990. Genotype by environment interaction and genetic correlations among parities for somatic cell count and milk yield. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 25632573.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernabucci, U, Biffani, S, Buggiotti, L, Vitali, A, Lacetera, N and Nardone, A 2014. The effects of heat stress in Italian Holstein dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 97, 471486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernabucci, U, Lacetera, N, Baumgard, LH, Rhoads, RP, Ronchi, B and Nardone, A 2010. Metabolic and hormonal acclimation to heat stress in domesticated ruminants. Animal 4, 11671183.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bohlouli, M, Shodja, J, Alijani, S and Eghbal, A 2013. The relationship between temperature-humidity index and test-day milk yield of Iranian Holstein dairy cattle using random regression model. Livestock Science 157, 414420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohmanova, J, Misztal, I, Tsuruta, S, Norman, HD and Lawlor, TJ 2008. Genotype by environment interaction due to heat stress. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 840846.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brügemann, K, Gernand, E, Koenig von Borstel, U and Koenig, S 2012. Defining and evaluating heat stress thresholds in different dairy cow production systems. Archiv Tierzucht 55, 1324.Google Scholar
Brügemann, K, Gernand, E, von Borstel, U and Koenig, S 2011. Genetic analyses of protein yield in dairy cows applying random regression models with time-dependent and temperature x humidity-dependent covariates. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 41294139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carabaño, MJ, Bachagha, K, Ramón, M and Díaz, C 2014. Modeling heat stress effect on Holstein cows under hot and dry conditions: selection tools. Journal of Dairy Science 97, 78897904.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freitas, M, Misztal, I, Bohmanova, J and Torres, R 2006. Regional differences in heat stress in US Holsteins. Proceedings of the 8th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 13–26 August 2006, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.Google Scholar
Hammami, H, Bormann, J, M’hamdi, N, Montaldo, H and Gengler, N 2013. Evaluation of heat stress effects on production traits and somatic cell score of Holsteins in a temperate environment. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 18441855.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hammami, H, Vandenplas, J, Vanrobays, M-L, Rekik, B, Bastin, C and Gengler, N 2015. Genetic analysis of heat stress effects on yield traits, udder health, and fatty acids of Walloon Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 98, 49564968.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, DL and Wall, E 2015. Dairy cattle in a temperate climate: the effects of weather on milk yield and composition depend on management. Animal 9, 138149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koivula, M, Mäntysaari, EA, Negussie, E and Serenius, T 2005. Genetic and phenotypic relationships among milk yield and somatic cell count before and after clinical mastitis. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 827833.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kolmodin, R and Bijma, P 2004. Response to mass selection when the genotype by environment interaction is modelled as a linear reaction norm. Genetics, Selection, Evolution 36, 435454.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madalena, FE 1990. Crossbreeding effects in tropical dairy cattle. Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 23–27 July, Edinburgh, Scotland.Google Scholar
Madalena, FE, Teodoro, RL, Lemos, AM, Monteiro, JBN and Barbosa, RT 1990. Evaluation of strategies for crossbreeding of dairy cattle in Brazil. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 18871901.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misztal, I, Tsuruta, S, Strabel, T, Auvray, B, Druet, T and Lee, DH 2002. Blupf90 and related programs. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 19–23 August 2002, Montpellier, France.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 1971. A guide to environmental research on animals. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Ravagnolo, O and Misztal, I 2000. Genetic component of heat stress in dairy cattle, parameter estimation. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 21262130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ravagnolo, O, Misztal, I and Hoogenboom, G 2000. Genetic component of heat stress in dairy cattle, development of heat index function. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 21202125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Santana, ML Jr, Bignardi, AB, Pereira, RJ, Menéndez-Buxadera, A and El Faro, L 2016. Random regression models to account for the effect of genotype by environment interaction due to heat stress on milk yield of Holstein cows under tropical conditions. Journal of Applied Genetics 57, 119127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Santana, ML Jr, Eler, JP, Bignardi, AB, Menéndez-Buxadera, A, Cardoso, FF and Ferraz, JBS 2015. Multi-trait linear reaction norm model to describe the pattern of phenotypic expression of some economic traits in beef cattle across a range of environments. Journal of Applied Genetics 56, 219229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, D, Smith, T, Rude, B and Ward, S 2013. Comparison of the effects of heat stress on milk and component yields and somatic cell score in Holstein and Jersey cows. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 30283033.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
St-Pierre, NR, Cobanov, B and Schnitkey, G 2003. Economic losses from heat stress by US livestock industries. Journal of Dairy Science 86 (suppl.), E52E77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tonsor, SJ, Elnaccash, TW and Scheiner, SM 2013. Developmental instability is genetically correlated with phenotypic plasticity, constraining heritability, and fitness. Evolution 67, 29232935.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Santana supplementary material

Supplementary Table

Download Santana supplementary material(File)
File 17.2 KB