Water requirements of beef production can be reduced by genetic selection

G M Pereira; A A Egito; R C Gomes; M N Ribas; R A A Torres Junior; J A Fernandes Junior; G R O Menezes

doi:10.1016/j.animal.2020.100142

Water requirements of beef production can be reduced by genetic selection

Animal. 2021 Mar;15(3):100142. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100142. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

Authors

G M Pereira¹, A A Egito², R C Gomes², M N Ribas³, R A A Torres Junior⁴, J A Fernandes Junior⁵, G R O Menezes⁶

Affiliations

¹ Animal Science Graduate Program, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sen. Filinto Müller Av., 2443, 79070-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
² Animal Science Graduate Program, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sen. Filinto Müller Av., 2443, 79070-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Av., 830, 70106-550 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
³ Intergado Ltd, Rio Paranaguá St., 1463, 32280-300 Contagem, MG, Brazil.
⁴ Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Av., 830, 70106-550 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
⁵ Grama Senepol, Santo Antonio da Grama Farm, Pirajuí, SP, Brazil.
⁶ Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Av., 830, 70106-550 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. Electronic address: gilberto.menezes@embrapa.br.

PMID: 33573956
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100142

Abstract

Growing concerns regarding sustainability in agriculture include the availability of drinking water, which is putting pressure on livestock production, especially the beef sector, for more efficient practices. Thus, genetic parameters were estimated for traits related to water intake and water use efficiency in Senepol cattle. Senepol females (n = 925) and males (n = 191) were evaluated in performance tests carried out from 2014 to 2019. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) and water intake (WI) were recorded by electronic feed and water bunks (Intergado Ltd.). Other traits assessed included average daily gain (ADG); mid-test metabolic BW (BW^0.75); residual water intake based on ADG (RWI_ADG), estimated as the residual of the linear regression equation of WI on ADG and BW^0.75; residual water intake based on DMI (RWI_DMI), estimated as the residual of the linear regression equation of WI on DMI and BW^0.75 (RWI_DMI); water conversion ratio (= WI/ADG); gross water efficiency (GWE = ADG/WI); residual feed intake estimated as the residual of the linear regression equation of DMI on ADG and BW^0.75 (RFI); feed conversion ratio (= DMI/ADG) and gross feed efficiency. Genetic (co)variances were estimated with bivariate analyses. The heritabilities for WI, RWI_ADG and RWI_DMI were 0.38, 0.36 and 0.33, respectively. Water conversion ratio, RWI_ADG and RWI_DMI showed positive genetic and phenotypic correlations with WI, whereas GWE was negatively correlated with WI, suggesting that traits related to water use efficiency may be useful to identify cattle with reduced WI. Water intake showed positive genetic (r = 0.79) and phenotypic (r = 0.60) correlations with DMI, suggesting the use of WI to estimate DMI in future studies. Both RWI_ADG and RWI_DMI were genetically correlated with RFI (0.67 and 0.57, respectively) and ADG (0.49 and 0.44, respectively), showing that RWI is positively associated with feed efficiency, but has an antagonistic relationship with growth. This antagonism, however, may be managed using selection indexes. Genetic improvement of water use efficiency in Senepol cattle is possible through selection and may reduce the water requirements of beef production systems.

Keywords: Efficiency; Heritability; Residual water intake; Senepol; Sustainability.

MeSH terms

Animal Feed
Animals
Cattle / genetics
Drinking*
Eating*
Female
Male
Phenotype
Selection, Genetic
Water

Substances

Water