The additive and non-additive effects on pre-weaning and post-weaning traits in Hereford x Nelore animals were estimated by multivariate linear regression analyses, including or not the ridge regression procedure. Variance inflation factors (VIF) estimates for all covariates were larger in the analysis without ridge regression. The estimates obtained in this study were used to predict the performances of successive generations of a ½ crossbred Braford population resulting from mating Hereford bulls to Nelore cows. High performance was observed in the F1 generation probably due to total individual heterosis and the maternal additive effects. The direct epistatic effects significantly reduced the performance in the F2 generation animals. The performance of pre-weaning traits in the F3 generation animals decreased due to full maternal epistatic effects of their F2 dams. Predicted values for pre-weaning traits stabilized in the F4 generation and were close to those from the Nelore breed. Average performance of post-weaning traits in the F3 and F4 generations were similar or superior to those predicted for the F2 generation animals.
beef cattle; complementarity; epistasis; epistazygosity; heterosis; ridge regression
