In the last years has been a great interest in the irrigation of pastures and the engineering issues, cost of equipment, cost of maintenance of electricity, demand for water and electricity, management irrigation and fertigation. This interest has increased the demand for information and practical advice to help clarify the important aspects as the choice of irrigation system, the potential evapotranspiration (ETo), the culture of coefficient (Kc), the evapotranspiration of the crop (ECc), the shift of water (SW), the selection […]

In recent years there has been much focus on the use of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) fine genome mapping to identify causative mutations for traits of interest; however, many studies focus only on the marginal effects of markers, ignoring potential gene interactions. Simulation studies have show that this approach may not be powerful enough to detect important loci when gene interactions are present. While several studies have examined potential gene interaction, they tend to focus on a small number of […]

The confinement reactivity (CR) has been used as a measure of temperament in Brazil and it is defined as the animal reaction when contained in the scale. It is quantified through the animal reactivity test – REATEST®. This test consists of an electronic device coupled to the scale and of specific software. The device captures the movement that the animal provokes in the scale, during 20 seconds and sends it for the software that processes this movement and determines the […]

Data strongly influenced by factors not accounted for by the statistical model can bias estimates of genetic parameters and values. Moreover, several traits of economic importance do not follow a normal distribution or have censored data. The objective of this study is to describe and illustrate the application of hierarchical Bayesian models for the detection and muting of outliers and for the analysis of censored data. First, the traditional specification of the animal model in hierarchical stages is presented under […]

The first studies to identify, characterize and use molecular markers to characterize genetic resources and generate tools for animal breeding and management date from the end of the 80s. In the last 20 years the technologies to generate molecular data went through several innovation cycles. The last wave of technological innovations represents a true revolution, bringing methods to identify and genotype SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) markers in large scale. High density DNA chips were generated to genotype from tens of […]

Increased movement toward alliances and grid pricing in the U.S. has led to an increase interest in genetic values for carcass traits. The literature suggests that carcass genetic values are an effective tool to enhance selection for carcass traits, and that it is possible to select sires within a breed that can increase marbling score without adversely affecting external fat thickness or percent retail product relative to the breed mean. Ultrasound has been investigated as a cheaper means of collecting […]

The project aims at giving a technological upgrade to Brazilian aquaculture to attend the demands of the productive chain. The research focus in obtaining genetically improved fishes; in developing environmental friendly feeds of high zootechnical performance; and in implementing the integrated sanitary control in production systems. The adoption of “Best Management Practices” (BPMs) in aqualcuture systems will assure the production of good quality fishes and shrimps with higher market prices. The AQUABRASIL project involves more than 70 researchers of eleven […]

From the origins the man has looked and selected vegetables with nutritive value for larger productivity. The knowledge of DNA structure allowed genetic engineering to develop and supplying tools for the accomplishment of specific alterations in the genome considerably. The products of these alterations are denominated transgenic or organisms genetically modified (OGM) and they present high application potential in several areas of the human activity as: agriculture, medicine, health, production and processing of foods, biochemical production and control of diseases. […]

One third to one half of each animal produced for meat, milk, eggs, and fiber is not consumed by humans. These raw materials are subjected to rendering processes resulting in many useful products. Meat and bone meal, meat meal, poultry meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, blood meal, fish meal, and animal fats are the primary products resulting from the rendering process. The most important and valuable use for these animal by-products is as feed ingredients for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and companion […]

Selection of potential ingredients for feed formulation for any fish species requires knowledge of the apparent digestibility coefficients of energy and nutrients. The nutritive value of various ingredients has been investigated in Brazil and alternative source is must support similar fish performance and no adverse effects on fish health and the environment. Several factors can affect nutrient digestibility and the apparent digestibility coefficients of wide range of feed ingredients should be used for more accurate and economical feed formulation.