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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 #347554
Research Project: Improving Dairy Animals by Increasing Accuracy of Genomic Prediction, Evaluating New Traits, and Redefining Selection Goals

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: How selection for better health impacts dairy profitability

Author
item Cole, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Traditional genetic selection, recently enhanced by the addition of DNA marker information, was successfully used to increase the genetic merit of US dairy cattle over the last 50 years. This has resulted in substantial gains in production efficiency because fewer animals now produce more milk, fat, and protein for human consumption. New traits also are needed to measure economically important phenotypes in dairy cattle, such as feed efficiency. The US dairy industry has operated an extremely successful performance recording and genetic evaluation program for more than 100 years, but the size and complexity of the industry has prevented the development of new programs for some traits of recent interest. This talk will focus on the value of genetic improvement of heath traits.