Barbara Di Renzo Dos Santos Vilarinho, Lutyelle Nóbrega, Daniel Jordan de Abreu Santos, Tiago Pereira Guimarães, Humberto Tonhati, Rusbel Raul Aspilcueta-Borquis, Francisco Ribeiro de Araujo Neto
This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for body weight in 1,949 Murrah buffalo females raised under tropical conditions. Random regression models with Legendre polynomials were used to analyze growth data. Heritability estimates increased with age, ranging from 0.058 (at 28 days of age) to 0.244 (at 693 days of age). Genetic correlations decreased as the interval between weighing ages increased, reaching 0.1916 between 30 and 720 days of age. The findings suggest that selection for growth is more effective at older ages and that random regression models provide accurate genetic evaluations for female buffaloes in tropical environments.