Inheritance of the resistance to compression property of Australian Merino wool and its genetic correlation with follicle curvature and various wool and body characters

Abstract

Resistance to compression is primarily a measure of the crimp structure of individual fibres. Fibre crimp, as distinct from staple crimp, has been shown to be an important aspect of wool quality with requirements depending on end use and processing conditions. A precise definition of its importance under various conditions must await further evidence.

The consequences of these findings for Merino breeders depend upon the heritability of resistance to compression and its genetic and phenotypic correlation with other important wool characters. Estimates of such parameters are presented and used to formulate breeding plans for the Australian Merino.

Follicle curvature was included among the characters studied because it was hypothesized that it would be as good a measure of fibre crimp as is resistance to compression. The results support this hypothesis.

The most important conclusion is that, if textile requirements dictate that resistance to compression as well as fibre diameter must be controlled during Merino breeding, progress in clean wool weight will be severely restricted.