Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #286005
Title: Incorporation of genetic technologies associated with applied reproductive technologies to enhance world food production

Author
item Cushman, Robert - Bob
item McDaneld, Tara
item Kuehn, Larry
item Snelling, Warren
item Nonneman, Danny - Dan

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2013
Publication Date: 1/1/2014
Citation: Cushman, R.A., McDaneld, T.G., Kuehn, L.A., Snelling, W.M., Nonneman, D. 2014. Incorporation of genetic technologies associated with applied reproductive technologies to enhance world food production. In: Lamb, G.C., DiLorenzo, N., editors. Current and Future Reproduction Technologies and World Food Production. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. New York, NY: Springer. p. 77-96. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-8887-3.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Animal breeding and reproductive physiology have been closely related throughout the history of animal production science. Artificial insemination provides the best method of increasing the influence of sires with superior genetics to improve production traits. Multiple ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) provides some ability to increase the genetic influence of the maternal line as well. The addition of genetic technologies to this paradigm allows for improved methods of selecting sires and dams carrying the best genes for production and yield of edible products and resistance to diseases and parasites. However, decreasing the number of influential parents within a population also increases the risk of propagating a recessive gene that could negatively impact the species. Furthermore, antagonistic genotypic relationships between production traits and fertility suggest that care must be taken to ensure that increasing the frequency of genes with a positive influence on production does not negatively impact the fertility of the replacement females entering the herd.