Technology - a resource to drive profit in Beef operations

From the document

livestock Genetic Selection

Technology – a resource to drive profit in beef operations

Breeding and associated genetic technologies can make a difference to the bottom line in beef cattle herds, says Japie van der Westhuizen of SA Stud Book.

ustainability in any enterprise depends on long-term profitability. Many factors contribute to this, including the optimal use of available resources. One such resource, technology, plays a major role in successful livestock production. Livestock feeding and nutrition technologies include evaluation and analysis methodologies, rumen and post-rumen digestibility and feed utilisation, harvesting techniques and treatment of feed, micro minerals and amino acid utilisation, utilisation of micro-organisms in feed, and automated intake

farmer’s weekly 8 april 2016

control and recording. Equally important are the advanced technologies that influence physiological processes. These include rumen fermentation, hormonal control of reproduction cycles, immune system boosting and inoculation, product quality enhancement, fatty acid and amino acid manipulation, organism specific treatment, embryo, semen and cloning techniques, and automated production recording. Animal breeding and genetics focus on making a permanent difference to livestock production efficiency. Technological development is currently driving

BELOW: Contemporary groups in the same environment under the same feeding regime are compared In BLUP testing. fw archive

genetic change. Some of these technologies include computing power and data base exploration, algorithm developments, integrating economics and genetic merit in genetic merit predictions, integrating quantitative and molecular genetics in determining genetic merit, genome projects and whole genome sequencing, video and ultrasound imaging and algorithms in assessing carcass and meat characteristics, application of bead chip technologies in next generation genetic merit predictions, and automated intake recording. This article highlights a few of these technologies.

courtesy of japie van der westhuizen

Pedigree & measurement: Accuracy = 30%

Pedigree & measurement: Accuracy = 30%

+ Progeny: Accuracy = 60%

Molecular genetics and breeding value predictions

the bovine genome was sequenced in 2009 After the sequencing of the human genome was completed, projects followed in which other species were sequenced. The genome sequence of the Hereford cow L1 Dominette, at Baylor University in the US, was first published in Science in 2009. Today, after the development of the bead chip, it is possible to have a fairly good look at the genome of individual animals from most livestock species. These chips enable scientists to obtain information from

ABOVE: (Figure 1) Genomic EBVs fast-track genetic progress in the herd, giving breeders improved selection ability. . …

The opening of the PDF. Download it above for the full document.