Background:

Creole breeds are considered locally adapted and hardy.

Objective.

To evaluate the possible presence of genotype environment interaction (IGA).

Methods:

The information pertaining to animals of this breed that were subjected to a performance test (PC) at the "Manuel Fajardo" Genetic and Breeding Enterprise, Granma province, was analyzed. The purified base consisted 2,772 animals (1,532 pedigrees, 72 fathers and 1,193 mothers) born between 1981-2016 were used and the weight at 18 months of age (PA) was used as the test final criterion. Two groups of data were generated based on PA, more than 320 kg (PA) and less (PB), which were analyzed as two different characters and three groups were also formed based on the period analyzed (until 1990, [1] between 1991-2000 [2] and after 2000 [3]). Through multi-character animal models including as sources of variation, for the fixed effects, the contemporary group (herd-year-season), the linear regression of the final age on weight and as random, the additive genetic component and the residue.

Results:

The general means were 349.76 ± 37.17 and 279.16 ± 32.51 kg for PA and PB. For the periods: 414.89 ± 61.44; 299.94 ± 51.71 and 312.13 ± 32.39 kg for [1], [2] and [3] respectively. The heritabilities were: 0.27 ± 0.12; 0.07 ± 0.07; 0.37 ± 0.20; 0.27 ± 0.16 and 0.29 ± 0.18 for PAA, PAB, [1], [2] and [3], respectively. The analyzes comparing PA and PB, as well as the 3 periods, showed high genetic correlations, except when comparing up to 1990 and after 2000 (rg= 0.65). The correlations between the VGs were also high and positive.

Conclusions:

The results obtained did not show the existence of genotype-environment interaction.