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Genotype x Climate Interactions for Protein Yield Using Four European Holstein populations
Reaction norm models were applied to investigate genetic variation in heat tolerance of Holsteins across environments using long term protein milk yield test-day records and weather variables as proxy of climate change. Data represented four European regions characterized by different management systems and environments. Daily protein yield changed across the trajectory of temperature humidity index (THI) for all studied populations, pointing out negative associations between warm conditions and cow performances. For most regions, additive genetic variances for daily protein yield decrease when THI increases. Antagonistic relationship between level and intercept were tentatively limited for Slovenia compared to the three other regions. Rank correlations of estimated breeding values for three proposed heat tolerance measures ranged from 0.56 (Spain and Slovenia) to 0.81 (Walloon Region of Belgium and Luxembourg), indicating a possibility of genotype by environment (G x E) for some pairs of regions.
Keywords:
dairy cattle
heat tolerance
temperature humidity index
protein
