Colour phenotypes, genotypes and colorimetry of unprocessed North American Huacaya alpaca fibre, and comparisons with some other common natural fibres

Standardised fibre colorimetry has been used on midside samples, taken over three seasons, of fleeces from 1192 individual North American Huacaya alpacas. The results have been compared with the Alpaca Owners Association colour phenotype coding, and with Mc1R and ASIP genotype data. The analyses show that standardised colorimetry provides accurate phenotyping on average, but measurement imprecision and probable uncertainties associated with subjective colour coding prevents the prediction of such codes from individual measurements, except for the extremes of white and black. The measurements do, however, confirm good correlation between genotypes and colorimetry, thus supporting their use as an inexpensive additional tool for breeders. When compared with published data on other natural fibres - fine and coarse wool, mohair, cashmere, and cotton - the white and beige alpaca fibres show up favourably for whiteness and brightness. Additionally, unlike the other animal fibres, they do not appear to show a significant yellowness versus brightness relationship, which should be environmentally-beneficial from a textile processing perspective. In common with the other animal fibres, they do show a relationship between yellowness and mean fibre diameter, which is probably a physical light-scattering phenomenon, with the finer samples giving whiter results.