Determination of morphological-genetic characterization for fleece production and quality in some native sheep breeds

In this study, approximately 80 each of Karacabey Merino, Kıvırcık, Morkaraman, Hemşin and İvesi breeds from different villages and breeders within the scope of Public Breeding Project in Edirne, Tekirdağ, Kırklareli, Çanakkale, Balıkesir, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Artvin, Elazığ and Erzurum provinces. Fleece and blood samples were taken from the animals' neck, ribs and back regions. 20 individuals with the best fiber quality traits and 20 individuals with the lowest traits were selected from each race to be examined in molecular genetic studies. By measuring the fiber fineness (micron), fiber length (cm), single fiber strength, single fiber elasticity (%), yield (%), comfort factor (CF) and felting rate for fleece yield and quality in 40 individuals selected from each breed. In this study, it was aimed to correlate these parameters with wool yield of KAP11.1, KAP8.2 and KAP16.4.2 gene regions, which were reported to have an effect in molecular genetic studies. In the study, fiber fineness was measured as 28.63 μ, 26.91 μ, 37.60 μ, 26.04 μ and 30.06 μ, respectively, according to the analysis results of fleece samples belonging to Karacabey Merino, Kıvırcık, Morkaraman, Hemşin and Awassi races. The fiber lengths (cm) were measured as 6.74 cm, 6.96 cm, 9.79 cm, 11.66 cm and 11.21 cm, respectively. Single fiber strengths (cN) were calculated as 5.98 cN, 9.21 cN, 13.35 cN, 15.12 cN and 13.57 cN, respectively. Single fiber elasticity (%) was calculated as 30.24%, 55.37%, 58.09%, 56.71% and 60.11%. The yield (%) was measured as 82.92%, 80.35%, 78.46%, 79.58% and 79.47%, respectively. The yield (%) in the study was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). The comfort factor was measured as 80.44, 52.26, 33.27, 45.60 and 58.32, respectively. Felting (%) was measured as 18.17%, 14.21%, 11.02%, 11.30% and 17.41%, respectively. It was determined that fiber fineness and fiber length differ according to age groups (p<0.05). The nucleotide changes in the KAP11.1, KAP8.2 and KAP16.4.2 gene regions were compared with the morphological analysis results, and fiber fineness, length, strength, elasticity, felting and comfort factors were found to be statistically significant only in the KAP8.2 gene region (p>0,05).