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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303606

Title: Genetic architechture and biological basis for feed efficiency in dairy cattle

Author
item SPURLOCK, D.M. - Iowa State University
item TEMPELMAN, R.J. - Michigan State University
item WEIGEL, K.A. - University Of Wisconsin
item ARMENTANO, L.E. - University Of Wisconsin
item Wiggans, George
item VEERKAMP, R.F. - Wageningen University And Research Center
item DE HAAS, Y. - Wageningen University And Research Center
item COFFEY, M.P. - Sruc-Scotland'S Rural College
item Connor, Erin
item HANIGAN, M.D. - Virginia Tech
item STAPLES, C. - University Of Florida
item VANDEHAAR, M.J. - Michigan State University

Submitted to: World Congress of Genetics Applied in Livestock Production
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2014
Publication Date: 8/17/2014
Citation: Spurlock, D.M., Tempelman, R.J., Weigel, K.A., Armentano, L.E., Wiggans, G.R., Veerkamp, R.F., de Haas, Y., Coffey, M.P., Connor, E.E. Hanigan, M.D., Staples, C.R., VandeHaar, M.J. 2014. Genetic architecture and biological basis of feed efficiency in dairy cattle. In: Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, August 17-22, 2014, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Paper 287.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The genetic architecture of residual feed intake (RFI) and related traits was evaluated using a dataset of 2,894 cows. A Bayesian analysis estimated that markers accounted for 14% of the variance in RFI, and that RFI had considerable genetic variation. Effects of marker windows were small, but QTL peaks were identified. Six of the 8 chromosomes harboring QTL influencing RFI did not contain QTL influencing dry matter intake (DMI), net energy for lactation, or metabolic body weight. In contrast, 7 of 9 chromosomes with QTL influencing DMI also harbored QTL for one or more of the other traits evaluated. These results represent the first genomic analysis of RFI using a large (~3,000 animals) international dataset. In general they suggest RFI is a trait that should respond to selection, and that its genetic regulation is different from that of DMI.