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Abstract The Tiameslan line was created between 1983 and 1985 by mating Meishan × Jiaxing crossbred Chinese boars with sows from the Laconie composite male line. The Tiameslan line has been selected since then on an index combining average backfat thickness (ABT) and days from 20 to 100 kg (DT). Direct and correlated responses to 11 years of selection were estimated using BLUP methodology applied to a multiple trait animal model. A total of 11 traits were considered, i.e.: ABT, DT, body weight at 4 (W4w), 8 (W8w) and 22 (W22w) weeks of age, teat number (TEAT), number of good teats (GTEAT), total number of piglets born (TNB), born alive (NBA) and weaned (NW) per litter, and birth to weaning survival rate (SURV). Performance data from a total of 4 881 males and 4 799 females from 1 341 litters were analysed. The models included both direct and maternal effects for ABT, W4w and W8w. Male and female performances were considered as different traits for W22w, DT and ABT. Genetic parameters estimated in another paper (Zhang et al., Genet. Sel. Evol. 32 (2000) 41-56) were used to perform the analyses. Favourable phenotypic (ΔP) and direct genetic trends (ΔGd) were obtained for post-weaning growth traits and ABT. Trends for maternal effects were limited. Phenotypic and genetic trends were larger in females than in males for ABT (e.g. ΔGd = -0.48 vs. -0.38 mm/year), were larger in males for W22w (ΔGd = 0.90 vs. 0.58 kg/year) and were similar in both sexes for DT (ΔGd = -0.54 vs. -0.55 day/year). Phenotypic and genetic trends were slightly favourable for W4w, W8w, TEAT and GTEAT and close to zero for reproductive traits.

Abstract Genetic parameters of body weight at 4 (W4 w), 8 (W8 w) and 22 (W22 w) weeks of age, days from 20 to 100 kg (DT), average backfat thickness at 100 kg (ABT), teat number (TEAT), number of good teats (GTEAT), total number of piglets born (TNB), born alive (NBA) and weaned (NW) per litter, and birth to weaning survival rate (SURV) were estimated in the Chinese × European Tiameslan composite line using restricted maximum likelihood methodology applied to a multiple trait animal model. Performance data from a total of 4 881 males and 4 799 females from 1 341 litters were analysed. Different models were fitted to the data in order to estimate the importance of maternal effects on production traits, as well as genetic correlations between male and female performance. The results showed the existence of significant maternal effects on W4w, W8w and ABT and of variance heterogeneity between sexes for W22w, DT, ABT and GTEAT. Genetic correlations between sexes were 0.79, 0.71 and 0.82, respectively, for W22w, DT and ABT and above 0.90 for the other traits. Heritability estimates were larger than (ABT and TEAT) or similar to (other traits) average literature values. Some genetic antagonism was evidenced between production traits, particularly W4w, W8w and ABT, and reproductive traits.