Filters
Determinants of the attitudes of proinnovative dairy consumers and a model simulating consumer behavior regarding increasing calcium intake
Stability of Early Maturing Soybean Genotypes in Poland
Poland is one of the northernmost countries in the world where soybean breeding is actively conducted. A large collection of soybean genotypes was analyzed in three locations in Poland during the 2022–2023 growing seasons. The objective of this research was to determine the stability of yield, as well as the protein and fat content in the seeds of 280 genotypes. The phenotypic correlations across genotypes and environments were assessed using the Spearman coefficient. The statistical analysis was provided using the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model. The stability of genotypes was assessed using the weighted average of absolute scores. The main factor differentiating the results between locations was the variation in weather conditions. The variety Karok, which ranks among the top 10% in genotype selection indices for yield and thousand-seed weight, is recommended based on studies conducted within the Post-Registration Variety Testing System in three voivodeships in Poland. Among the most stable genotypes, in terms of the traits analyzed in this paper, are many registered and currently grown soybean varieties such as Obelix Pompei, Coraline, Kapral, ES Mentor, NS Mercury, Pepita, Pollux, Silesia, and Heihe 45. The yield stability of soybean genotypes during the development of new varieties should be one of the factors analyzed by breeders.
Bayesian analysis of genetic and environmental effects on litter traits in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) herd under long‐term selection
AbstractThe economic efficiency of fur animal farms is considerably influenced by reproductive performance. The objectives of this study are to determine the effects of individual and maternal inbreeding, birth year, and dam and sire age on litter size at birth (LSB) and at weaning (LSW) and on preweaning mortality (PWM) in a red fox herd under long‐term selection, and to determine the heritability of these traits. In total, 37,973 pedigreed individuals were used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients, based on records of 14,527 litters of 3856 dams born from the year 1958 to 2015. Two data sets (all data and data for the Polish variety) were analyzed. The highest heritability was estimated for PWM (0.292, 0.306) and the lowest for LSW (0.114, 0.115). In contrast to paternal and maternal inbreeding, litter inbreeding was found to exert a significant influence. The absence of significant effects of most varieties may suggest relatively large genetic similarity in the world red fox population. This corresponds with the similarity of the results obtained for the total herd and for the Polish variety. Favorable genetic trends were observed for the studied traits, indicating that the selection applied had been a relatively effective approach to improving these traits.