January 9, 2006

Genetic markers to improve cattle performance

Cattle producers can now make use of genetic markers to improve the performance of their cattle and the quality of beef.

Until now it has been largely visual approximation as to how cattle would perform on a given grid. With DNA or marker-assisted selection, it would be possible to gain inside information for a growing list of traits of economic importance. These could be then marked for genetic improvement.

This tool could have immediate implications for the feeding segment of the industry, said John Pollak, executive director of the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium (NBCEC), an organisation committed to research related to the genetic evaluation of beef cattle.

Using DNA technology, through marker-assisted management, would be an opportunity for feedlots and operations where producers have been retaining ownership to sort cattle toward specific endpoints based on their potential to hit certain grids, Pollak added.

Decatur County Feed Yard Inc in Oberlin, US is one feedyard that understands the importance of this advanced technology. The yard has specialised in retained ownership since 1981, and has been sorting cattle based on ultrasound data for nearly 20 years.

Dan Dorn of Decatur County Feed Yard suggested that producers who take advantage of DNA testing would be more successful. DNA testing has become more cost effective and user friendly, he added.