Genomics from 30,000 Feet
Beef specialist shares with young producers his view of where genomic technology fits in the industry today.
BILOXI, Miss. (June 9, 2015) — During the inaugural Young Producers Symposium at the 2015 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Convention, Bob Weaber of Kansas State University provided a “30,000-foot view” of current genetic technologies available to cattle producers. Weaber covered his philosophy behind using genomics in a productive cattle herd, which he compares to buying cars.
Rather than using genomics for market-assisted marketing (using genomic data to market the animal), Bob Weaber recommended emphasizing marker-assisted selection, which he said is a completely different strategy.
With cattle prices at all-time highs, the value of seedstock has increased, Weaber explained. When producers go to a bull sale, it’s not about buying a Chevy. It’s about buying a Cadillac.
“Which do you want in your pasture?” Weaber asked the audience.
As seedstock producers work to buy and create the Cadillac-quality animals their customers have come to expect, Weaber said, documentation of performance is required.
In addition to the importance of “documenting our product,” Weaber shared, genotype information can be used once an animal walks off the farm. He suggested genotyping females as they will have a long impact on the future of the bulls a seedstock producer markets and the steers a commercial producer sends to the consumer.
Rather than using genomics for market-assisted marketing (using genomic data to market the animal), Weaber recommended emphasizing marker-assisted selection, which he said is a completely different strategy.
“We can make better decisions, selections and progress in a reliable way through the use of genomic technologies,” said Weaber.
Precision is important in making genetic selections that can have exponential impact on the cattle herd. Weaber explained that increased genetic testing leads to a higher level of accuracy for expected progeny differences (EPDs), which in turn will help producers make more-accurate breeding selections for their herds.
“Accuracy is a measurement of our ability to make genetic progress,” said Weaber. “We can make more-reliable decisions and more-reliable progress from accurate information. If we make a decision based on bad information, it can inhibit genetic progress.
“Accuracy is our limiting factor, and genomic technology helps us build accuracy,” he emphasized.
Should producers be using genomics and genetic technologies in their herd? “Yes,” said Weaber, adding that his opinion only recently changed on the subject. With the introduction of tools like the low-density (LD) marker tests that offer greater affordability, he said, it’s a great time to adopt the technology.
Planning genetic selection for a specific environment and how they move into the value chain is very important and very complex. However, Weaber rationalized that with genomic technologies producers can add value to their herd while improving the accuracy of EPDs at the same time.
The 2015 BIF Annual Convention was hosted by Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Extension Service June 9-12 at the Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel in Biloxi. The Angus Journal and LiveAuctions.tv provide comprehensive online coverage of the event at www.BIFconference.com. Visit the Newsroom for summaries, proceedings, PowerPoints and audio of the sessions; the Awards page for announcements of award winners; and the Photos page for galleries of photos from the tour stops.
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