Evaluation of some of wool fiber characteristics in Moghani sheep using image analysis method

In this study 103 ewes belonged to the sheep station in Ardabil, Jafarabad were selected for wool sampling. Image analysis method was used to measure the fiber diameter, coefficient of variation of diameter of fibers, medulated fibres percentage and kemp fibres percentage. The environmental factors including the year of birth, type of birth and age of ewes were considered as fixed effects in statistical analysis with GLM procedure of SAS software. Results showed that the effect of year of birth had a significant effect on the characteristics of fiber diameter (P<0.05). Characteristics of mean fiber diameter (micro-meter), coefficient of variation (%), medulated and kemp fibre percentage were 30.9 ±3.11, 36.14 ±5.81, 11.6 ±2.66 and 5.28 ±2.16, respectively. In the measured samples, coefficient of variation and percentage of kemp fibres were high, so it is necessary that breeding programs planned to improve these traits in Moghani sheep. Image analysis can be considered as an easy technique for measurement of most important traits in sheep breeding programs for fiber traits.