International Science Community Association International Research Journal of Biological Sciences 2278 - 3202 5 9 2016 09 10 Association of Linear body Measurements with growth traits in Harnali Sheep 55 58 EN Subhadra Subhadarsini 1 P.G. Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Sandeep Kumar Nayak 2 P.G. Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Kunja Bihari Satapathy* 3 P.G. Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani vihar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India M. Udayakumar 1 Department of Botany, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai – 600 030, Tamil Nadu, India T.* Sekar 2 Department of Botany, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai – 600 030, Tamil Nadu, India Analyn* Anzano Cabras* 1 College of Arts and Sciences, University of Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines Jürgen Wiesner 2 Dresdener Ring 11, D-38444 Wolfsburg, Germany Mohamed Ahmed Fadl 1 Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt and Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Taif, KSA Hira Mubeenand Shahid Raza 1 Faculty of Biological Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, University of South Asia, Lahore, Pakistan Pramod Phirke 1 Department of Zoology, Fergusson College, Pune–4, MS, India S.P.* Zambare 2 Department of Zoology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, MS, India D. Chathurangani 1 Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka K.* Yakandawala 2 Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Mgt., Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka D. Yakandawala 3 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka N. R. Abeynayake 4 Department of Agribusiness Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Sandeep* Kumar 1 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, 125004, India S.P. Dahiya 2 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, 125004, India Z.S. Malik 3 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, 125004, India C.S. Patil 4 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, 125004, India > Review Paper 2016 8 29 2016 09 10 Crossbreeding of native sheep with exotic breeds has been in practice since long to bring about improvement in both wool and mutton production. Harnali is a new synthetic strain of sheep developed for superior carpet wool and better growth. The present investigation was undertaken to study association of linear body measurements with growth in Harnali sheep. Data on 349 Harnali animals pertaining to nine linear body measurements and four growth traits were analysed using mixed linear model with sex, period of birth and dam’s age at lambing as fixed effects and sire as random effect. The period of birth had significant effect on all traits except HG, PG, TL, EL and EW. The effect of sex was found significant on all linear body measurements and growth traits except EL and EW. Dam’s age at lambing was found non-significant on all traits under study. However, dam’s weight at lambing significantly influenced all traits. Heritability estimates for various body measurements and growth traits were moderate to high ranging from 0.30±0.13 to 0.76±18 indicating the scope of improvement in body dimensions and growth performance of Harnali sheep. The phenotypic correlations among body measurements and growth traits were quite varying ranging from 0.01±0.01 to 0.40±0.05. Moderate and positive phenotypic correlations ranging between 0.22±0.05 and 0.31±0.06 were found between BL, BH, HG, PG, HC and FL with six month and yearly body weight of Harnali sheep. Moderate to high genetic correlations (0.16±0.19 to 0.42±0.16) were observed between BL, HG and HC with six month and yearly body weight. It was concluded that positive genetic correlations of some linear body measurements with body weight of Harnali animals indicate the scope of improvement in growth performance through selection based on body dimensions of Harnali sheep. Copyright@ International Science Community Association