Genetic parameters for eating quality traits of Australian lamb — ASN Events
  1. Schedule
  2. Concurrent 12 - Genetics on the ground II
  3. Genetic parameters for eating quality traits of Australian lamb

Genetic parameters for eating quality traits of Australian lamb (#75)

Suzanne I Mortimer 1 2 , Andrew A Swan 1 3 , Liselotte Pannier 1 4 , Alex J Ball 1 5 , Robin H Jacob 1 6 , Julius H J van der Werf 1 7 , David W Pethick 1 4
  1. Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, NSW, Australia
  2. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Trangie, NSW, Australia
  3. Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit*, University of New England, NSW, Australia
  4. School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, WA, Australia
  5. Meat and Livestock Australia, University of New England, NSW, Australia
  6. Department of Agriculture and Food, WA, Australia
  7. School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, NSW, Australia
Genetic parameters were estimated for 5 sensory (overall liking, tenderness, juiciness, flavour and odour) and 2 objective eating quality (EQ) traits (intramuscular fat, IMF, and shear force, SF5), measured on loin and topside meat cuts (except IMF) produced by progeny of the Information Nucleus of the CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation. Heritabilities for sensory traits were low to moderate for loin and moderate to high for topside cuts. Loin IMF was highly heritable while SF5 was moderately heritable in both cuts. Genetic correlations among the sensory EQ traits were all positive and high (0.72-1.00). Genetic correlations between loin IMF and sensory traits were moderately positive and lowly positive for loin and topside respectively. SF5 had stronger, negative correlations with sensory EQ traits in the topside than in the loin. Overall liking may be improved more so through selection on IMF in the loin and SF5 in the topside.
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