Use of multivariate analysis to evaluate genetic groups of pigs for dry-cured ham production

AbstractRecords of a pig population used for dry-cured ham production were used to evaluate genetic groups by multivariate analysis. The investigated genetic groups were as follows: DULL=Duroc×(Landrace×Large White), DULA=Duroc×Landrace, DUWI=Duroc×Large White, WIWI=Large White and DUDU=Duroc. Two groups were obtained for the carcass traits hot carcass weight (HCW), backfat thickness (BT) and loin depth (LD), with the groups including 597 and 341 animals harvested at 130kg and at 160kg weights, respectively. Two groups were also found for ham traits gross ham weight (GHW), trimmed ham weight (THW), ham inner layer fat thickness (HIFT), ham outer layer fat thickness (HOFT), pH (PH), and Göfo value, with 393 and 91 animals harvested at 130kg and 160kg weights, respectively. The analysis was performed within each group of traits and harvest weights, and the animals without records were excluded. The first and the second canonical variables explained 97.5% and 93.6% of the total variation for the carcass traits at 130kg and 160kg, respectively, and 88.8% of ham traits at 130kg. In the dispersion graph concerning the canonical means, a significant distance was observed between the genetic groups DUDU and WIWI for the carcass traits at 130kg and 160kg and the ham traits at 130kg. The 50% Duroc animals exhibited little dispersion regarding the carcass traits at 130kg and 160kg and were not divergent from the DUDU genetic group for the ham traits at 130kg. In a cluster analysis using the single linkage method, DULL, DULA and DUWI were grouped with a high similarity level for the carcass traits at 130kg and 160kg and ham traits at 130kg. Using the Tocher optimization method, 50% Duroc crossbred and 100% Duroc purebred animals were grouped for the ham traits at 130kg, suggesting that for ham traits, 50% Duroc animals were similar to 100% Duroc purebred animals. In this context, the genetic groups Duroc×Large White, Duroc×Landrace and Duroc×(Landrace×Large White) are recommended for use in producing dry-cured ham