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HIGH DENSITY DNA TO REVOLUTIONISE PERFORMANCE RECORDING

Angus performance recording is preparing to take a huge leap forward with the launch of Pfizer Animal Genetics’ high density 50K DNA marker package at the National Angus Forum in Albury.

According to Pfizer’s Dr Gerard Davis these tests are available immediately and have the ability to provide high accuracy genomic enhanced EBVs on very young Angus at levels that previously have not been achieved until an animal reached five years of age.

And the only breed that can at present access this high level technology is Angus.

“As of to-day, this one-time test will provide information on 13 of the current traits covering fertility, growth and carcase and this is easily expandable to include other traits which could include net feed intake, tenderness, average daily gain, health and the nutritional value of beef to consumers,” said Dr Davis.

The new technology means seedstock producers can make early decisions about an animal’s genetic worth.

Angus Australia’s CEO, Dr Peter Parnell, said Angus Australia was working closely with Pfizer and scientists at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) to determine the necessary information to incorporate the 50k marker information into Angus Breedplan EBVs.

“The impact of the marker information will depend on the calculated correlations with traits included in Breedplan”, Dr Parnell said.

The American Angus Association (AAA) has already commenced publishing genomic enhanced EPDs and Indexes and this is only the start of the performance recording revolution according to Jo Hampton, the association’s vice president who was the keynote speaker at the conference.

AAA, which registers almost 300,000 Angus calves a year bred by its 30,000 members, also provides genetic evaluation services for 10 other breed societies in the USA and Canada following the withdrawal of American universities from this field.

However, the Angus performance figures are the only ones to include the genomic data.

Mr. Hampton said performance recording had advanced dramatically in the 25 years since it was introduced as a basic tool providing average daily gain data.

“We then advanced to within herd ratios, expected progeny differences, dollar index values right through to the current genomic enhanced EPDs and selection indexes”.

He said the initial genomic data came from Merial’s Ingenity, but that is not an exclusive long term arrangement and he expects other providers of HD 50K data will be contributing to the AAA database at some point in the future.

America’s first genomic enhanced EPDs were available in September 2009 and later this year all carcase EPDs will be genomically enhanced.

Mr. Hampton said the beef cattle industry was in a time of unprecedented change and breed societies needed to remain relevant to the membership and develop tools that assist their bull buying clients to conduct efficient and profitable operations.

He told the Australian Angus breeders that genomic enhanced EBVs were not the ‘end of the line’ in the rapidly progressing area of genetic description and that breed organizations needed to keep up to date with the latest developments or risk becoming irrelevant to their members and the beef cattle industry.

(Higher resolution photograph)
Joe Hampton, the American Angus Association’s vice president, was at the National Angus conference to explain how the AAA was developing genomic assisted EPDs.