Relative economic values for fineness traits in alpaca fibre of the Puno Region

Abstract

The aim of this of the study was to determine relative economic weights for 10 traits related to fibre quality in Huacaya alpacas, through the Reciprocal of the phenotypic standard deviation of the trait and the Regression of the traits on the economic benefit. In total, 22 543 data per character were used, determined in samples of fleece from alpacas from the Puno Region. The economic weights obtained by the first procedure assume different values, which are inversely proportional to the value of the phenotypic standard deviation of the trait and quantify the number of times that the variance contains the relevant phenotypic standard deviation. Those obtained by the regression method also assume different values (positive and negative), which do not necessarily guide the trend, but quantify the change in the slope to a change in an average unit of the phenotype. The economic weight values are not similarly proportional by both methods. The economic weights obtained are the most appropriate for the characteristics related to the fineness of the fibre in alpacas, but not necessarily considered as selection criteria.