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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 #396874
Research Project: Enhancing Genetic Merit of Ruminants Through Improved Genome Assembly, Annotation, and Selection

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Invited review: Reliability computation from the animal model era to the single-step genomic model era

Author
item ZAABZA, HAFEDH - University Of Vermont
item Van Tassell, Curtis - Curt
item VANDENPLAS, JEREMIE - Wageningen University And Research Center
item Vanraden, Paul
item LIU, ZENGTING - Collaborator
item EDING, HERWIN - Collaborator
item MCKAY, STEPHANIE - University Of Vermont
item HAUGAARD, KATRINE - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences
item LIDAUER, MARTIN - Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)
item MÄNTYSAARI, ESA - Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)
item STRANDÉN, ISMO - Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2022
Publication Date: 3/1/2023
Citation: Zaabza, H.B., Van Tassell, C.P., Vandenplas, J., Van Raden, P.M., Liu, Z., Eding, H., Mckay, S., Haugaard, K., Lidauer, M.H., Mäntysaari, E.A., Strandén, I. 2023. Invited review: Reliability computation from the animal model era to the single-step genomic model era. Journal of Dairy Science. 106(3):1518–1532. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22629.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22629

Interpretive Summary: Reliability is a measure of the precision of estimated breeding values (EBV) and, thus, of the potential response to selection on those EBV. Nowadays, EBV often include genomic information. The calculation of exact reliabilities involves the inversion of mixed model equations (MME), which is computationally infeasible if the number of genotyped animals is very high, and so approximations are used instead. This paper overviews the different methods and computational approaches in calculating EBV reliabilities. We also describe the challenges faced in reliability computation and discuss eventual solutions to these challenges.

Technical Abstract: The calculation of exact reliabilities involving the inversion of mixed model equations (MME) poses a heavy computational challenge in the case of a large number of genotyped animals. This has prompted the development of different approximation methods. We give an overview of the various methods and computational approaches in calculating reliability from the era before the animal model to the era of single-step genomic models. The different methods are discussed in terms of modeling, development, and applicability in large dairy cattle populations. The paper also describes the problems faced in reliability computation. Many details dispersed throughout the literature are presented in this paper. It is clear that a universal solution applicable to every model and input data may not be possible, but we point out several efficient and accurate algorithms developed recently for a variety of very large genomic evaluations.