In Brassica napus breeding, traits related to commercial success are of highest importance for plant breeders. However, such traits can only be assessed in an advanced developmental stage. Molecular markers genetically linked to such traits have the potential to accelerate the breeding process of B. napus by marker-assisted selection. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify (i)...

Establishing relationships among specific quality traits is important if significant progress toward developing improved pork quality is to be realized. As part of a study to examine the individual effects of genes on meat quality traits in pigs, a three-generation resource family was developed. Two Berkshire sires and nine Yorkshire dams were used to produce nine F1 litters. Sixty-five matings...

and Implications A method was developed to calculate economic values for pork quality traits for use in genetic selection. The method considers the normal variability of pork quality traits within a herd or population. The parameters required for this method are the mean, standard deviation, and range of the quality trait within the herd or population, and the relationship of the level of the q...

Meat was originally produced from non-specialized animals that were used for a variety of purposes, in addition to being a source of food. However, selective breeding has resulted in “improved” breeds of cattle that are now used to produce either milk or beef, and specialized chicken lines that produce eggs or meat. These improved breeds are very productive under appropriate management systems....

Two studies were conducted to investigate pork composition and quality. The first study evaluated the ability of ultrasound measurements, using either cross-sectional or longitudinal images, and Fat-O-Meater (FOM) measurements to predict carcass fat-free lean (FFL) in commercial pigs (n = 59). Ultrasound measures collected from cross-sectional and longitudinal images were as accurate as FOM mea...

Genetic correlation coefficients between egg quality traits were studied using fiftysix harco pullets raised under standard management practices. The estimates were carried out at 22-week, 26-week, 30-week and 32-week of age. Egg quality traits studied include egg weight (EW), shell thickness (ST), haugh unit (HU), yolk index (YI) and shape index (SI). Zero to slight negative correlation coeffi...

Strong benefits of species diversity have been demonstrated in mixed cropping on rangelands. In order to determine the best composition of mixed cropping of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with three cool season grass species (Agropyron elongatum, Agropyron desertorum and Festuca arundinacea), on yield and quality traits, an experiment was conducted during two years (2009 and 2010) in Bojnourd, Iran....