ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate associations among final weight (FW), average daily gain (ADG), scrotal circumference (SC), and visual score (VS) of beef cattle in performance tests on pasture or in feedlots. Genetic parameters for FW, ADG, SC, and VS of young Nellore bulls performance-tested on pasture or in feedlots were evaluated by mixed model. The performance test and final age were considered as fixed effects and additive genetic and residual effects were considered as random effects. Additive genetic and residual variances for final weight and average daily gain were smaller on pasture than in feedlots. There was no difference between genetic and residual variances and heritability for scrotal circumference on pasture or in feedlots. Genetic variance and heritability for visual score on pasture were smaller than those in feedlots. The posterior means (and highest posterior density intervals with 90% of samples (HPD90) in parentheses) for heritability were 0.46 (0.42; 0.50) and 0.49 (0.41; 0.55) for FW, 0.25 (0.22; 0.29) and 0.25 (0.19; 0.30) for ADG, 0.56 (0.51; 0.61) and 0.60 (0.51; 0.68) for SC, and 0.31 (0.27; 0.34) and 0.42 (0.36; 0.48) for VS on pasture or in feedlots, respectively. The genetic correlations (posterior means with HPD90 in parentheses) were 0.74 (0.69; 0.79) and 0.67 (0.58; 0.77) between FW and ADG; 0.49 (0.43; 0.55) and 0.60 (0.53; 0.68) for FW and SC; 0.79 (0.75; 0.83) and 0.85 (0.80; 0.90) for FW and VS; 0.37 (0.29; 0.46) and 0.34 (0.19; 0.50) for ADG and SC; 0.65 (0.59; 0.71) and 0.74 (0.64; 0.84) for ADG and VS; and 0.46 (0.39; 0.52) and 0.53 (0.44; 0.62) for SC and VS, obtained on pasture or in feedlots, respectively. The genetic and residual (co)variances of growth, scrotal circumference, and visual score of beef cattle vary across environments; however, genetic and residual correlation and efficiency of correlated response among these traits remain constant on pasture or in feedlots.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os parâmetros genéticos para o peso de bovinos Nelore, do nascimento até 1.000 dias de idade, por meio de modelos de regressão aleatória. Utilizaram-se 115.096 registros de peso de 19.417 animais. Os parâmetros genéticos foram obtidos por modelos de regressão aleatória via inferência bayesiana. A trajetória média de crescimento foi ajustada com um polinômio de Legendre quártico. O efeito genético aditivo direto foi ajustado com um polinômio quadrático de Legendre. Os efeitos de ambiente permanente direto e materno foram ajustados com polinômios de Legendre quíntico e quadrático, respectivamente. A variância residual foi modelada com três classes de idades. Os valores genéticos dos pesos, do nascimento até 1.000 dias de idade, foram utilizados para a análise da tendência genética, por meio de superfícies de resposta. As herdabilidades variaram entre 0,16 e 0,47. Os efeitos de ambiente permanente direto e materno foram responsáveis por 5 a 77% e 0,2 a 11% da variância fenotípica, respectivamente. As correlações genéticas dos pesos em diferentes idades foram altas e superiores a 0,40. Os valores genéticos foram crescentes ao longo dos anos, e a tendência genética foi máxima para peso aos 500 dias.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to determine the genetic parameters for body weight of Nellore cattle, from birth to 1,000 days of age, by random regression models. Data from 115,096 body weight records of 19,417 animals were used. The genetic parameters were obtained by random regression models and Bayesian inference. The average growth trajectory was fitted by a fourth-order Legendre polynomial. The additive direct effect was fitted by a quadratic Legendre polynomial. Direct and maternal permanent environmental effects were fitted by the fifth- and second-order Legendre polynomials, respectively. Residual variance was modeled by three classes of age. The breeding values of weights obtained from birth to 1,000 days of age were used for the analysis of genetic trend by response surfaces. Heritability ranged from 0.16 to 0.47. The direct and maternal permanent environmental effects explained 5 to 77% and 0.2 to 11% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. The genetic correlations of body weights at different ages were high and above 0.40. Breeding values increased throughout the years, and genetic trend was maximum for body weight at 500 days.