Estimation of crossbreeding parameters between Large White and Meishan porcine breeds.docVIP

2 C. Legault 1 Institut Natiorcal de la Recherche Agronom.ique, Station de Génétique Quantitative et strains was conducted. Direct, maternal and grand-maternal additive genetic effects along with direct, maternal and paternal heterosis effects were estimated for litter productivity traits: total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number weaned (NW), litter weight at birth (WB) and at 21 days (W21), either adjusted or not for litter size, and survival rate from birth to weaning (SR). Direct, maternal additive and direct heterosis effects were also estimated for sow traits: weight before farrowing (SWF) and at weaning (SWW), weight loss (SWL) and feed consumption (SFC) during lactation. Data from 267 litters farrowed by 117 sows were analysed. Between breeds additive differences in prolificacy are mainly maternal (3.7 f 0.9, 4.2 t 0.8 and 2.8 t 0.8 piglets/litter in favour MS for Maternal effects are also but in important, of favour of LW, for adjusted litter weights. However, due to litter size differences, they SR where also exist in sow traits: 8 and 56 t6 kg forSWF anddifferences SWW respectively) and female per MS dams. On the other hand, LW and Extremely high non- (22±7 additive effects are obtained for all traits except SR. Maternal heterosis estimates amount to 2.4 f 0.4 (TNB), 2.6 f 0.3 (NBA) and 2.5 t 0.3 (NW) for litter size, 3.8 t 0.4 kg (WB) 1.7 f 0.3 kg (WB) and 11.3 f 1.0 kg (W21) for adjusted litter weights. High direct heterosis values are also obtained in unadjusted and adjusted litter weights (respectively 2.6 db 0.6 and 1.9 0.5 kg for 7.9 f 2.5 and 2.9±1.8 kg for W21), sow weights (respectively 34±4 4 and 19 ± 3 kg for SWF and SWW) and feed consumption (16 ! 3 kg per female and -0.35 ::I:: 0.07 kg per On the other heterosis any paternal f traits effect. Some hypotheses are proposed and discussed to explain these high heterosis values. pigs - cro