Genetic correlations of environmental sensitivity based on daily feed intake perturbations with economically important traits in a male pig line

Estimates of genetic correlations of DFI with other traits of economic importance varied across the environmental gradients, especially for growth rate, which suggests the presence of genotype-by-environment interactions. The slope of DFI is an indicator of sensitivity of the animals to environmental challenges. Most traits of economic importance exhibited weak genetic correlations with the slope of DFI, indicating that selection for resilience based on the environmental sensitivity (slope of DFI) can be performed without adversely affecting these other traits. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of improving resilience through genetic selection.