脂肪厚度、腰眼面積、瘦肉量以及肌內脂肪量等體組成的沉積，受到遺傳與環境的影響，隨著體重的增加而有不同發展。結合重要分子標記與即時顯像B模式超音波技術的選拔方法，可提高生長與體組成性狀的遺傳改進量。但台灣目前檢定制度測定背脂厚度使用之A模式超音波儀器，準確性較B模式超音波低，也無法測定腰眼面積。本團隊已發展出應用B模式超音波活體檢測脂肪厚度與腰眼面積的方法，可做為核心豬場活體估測產肉能力的依據；但是修正至固定體重的因子，有待建立；同時，A模式儀器測定背脂厚度的體重修正因子亦有必要重新評估，以維持選拔的準確性。本計畫針對藍瑞斯、約克夏與杜洛克三個品種的去勢公豬與女豬，整合分子資訊與超音波技術評估其經濟性能，並發展超音波測定背脂厚度與腰眼面積的體重修正因子。本計畫預計分成三個年度進行。
【請配合中文之執行內容撰寫】 Most commercial pigs in the markets are crossbreds. Integration molecular information and phenotypic data increases selection accuracy is state to the art method in modern genetic evaluation and selection procedures in pig populations. Ultrasound on the other hand, provides a useful tool to predict carcass composition including fat thickness and longissimus muscle area as well as intramuscular fat content. The objectives of this study are integrating of molecular information, ultrasound and phenotypic data to evaluate economic performance on two-way and three-way crossbred pig populations in Taiwan. Correlation coefficients between real-time ultrasound scan and corresponded carcass measurements are also investigated. The study will collect more than 50 traits including molecular data, ultrasound, and meat quality traits from 80 LYD crossbred pigs to evaluate farm and breed combination effects, and to publish a handbook on Evaluation of economic traits on pig populations in Taiwan. Results of this project are expected to integrate modern breeding strategies and technologies, including improvement of genetic evaluation methods, application of breeding value, prediction of carcass composition using real-time ultrasound scanner in crossbred pigs, to develop pig breeding strategies in Taiwan for the next decade. Extension of these procedures to the on-farm performance testing in the breeding farms will also improve carcass and meat quality of pigs in Taiwan.
