Relationship between skin structure and wool traits for Ultrafine and Dohne Merino sheep of Uruguay
1 Department of Animal Production and Pastures. Faculty of Agronomy, University of Uruguay (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay.
2 Department of Biological Science, Pole of Production & Reproduction in Ruminants, University of Uruguay, Salto, Uruguay.
3 Meat & Wool Research Program. Tacuarembó Experimental Station. National Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), Uruguay.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021, 12(01), 465–472
Publication history:
Received on 21 September 2021; revised on 24 October 2021; accepted on 26 October 2021
Abstract:
The demand in the world market for high quality fine and superfine wool is increasing, responding to greater wool textile industry demands and price incentives. There are few research studies focused on hair follicle population in fine and superfine Merino sheep in Uruguay. This study evaluates the association between wool follicle population and the most relevant economical wool traits. This work was carried out on Ultrafine Australian Merino (UAM) and Dohne Merino (DM) animals (lambs and rams). Phenotypic correlations between the secondary/primary follicles (S/P) and other wool traits (fiber diameter, staple length, clean fleece weight, scoured yield, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and comfort factor parameter, were performed using histological skin cuts. Two skin samples were extracted from each lamb at two and nine months of age. These were processed at the skin histology laboratory to obtain a histological preparation for further biopsy, being able to differentiate the structures obtained to be evaluated. The results showed in the UAM group, S/P ratio in nine-month-old lambs was greater than two-month-old lambs (31.08 vs 23.12 P< 0.05). For DM group, there were no differences in the S/P ratio between age groups. Phenotypic correlations for wool characteristics obtained were of low to medium or null magnitude in both genotypes.
Keywords:
Fine wools; Superfine wools; Hair follicles; S/P ratio; Wool traits
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