THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO
THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO
THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO
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the least square analysis revealed no significant differences<br />
(P> 0.05) in heterosis estimates between farm species (S)<br />
and between breed’s contribution to the blood composition<br />
of crossbred progeny as a measure of heterozygosity in<br />
different crossbreeding systems. Heterosis reports in the<br />
Philippines and other countries also do not vary significantly<br />
(P>0.05). However, heterosis values were significantly<br />
influenced (P0.01) by the type of formula used to estimate<br />
heterosis (F) and character group (C). Heterosis based on<br />
one parent only were overestimates of heterosis based on<br />
mid parent average. Growth and yield traits exhibited<br />
substantially higher heterosis than product quality and cost<br />
reduction traits. The high heterosis values in highly heritable<br />
traits may be attributed to the “additive x additive” epistatic<br />
term in the many loci model described by Willham and<br />
Pollk (1984) or a result of improving the average genetic<br />
merit of the foundation breeds used in the cross, as<br />
suggested by Warwick and Legates (1979). Significant<br />
interaction effects (P