project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Assessing the potential of genomic testing dairy heifers to increase genetic gains and financial returns
Assessing the potential of genomic testing dairy heifers to increase genetic gains and financial returns
Objectives
The objective of this project is to maximise the opportunity of genomic testing heifers to accelerate the breeding progress of dairy herds. The reliability of traits being inherited from the traditional pedigree index is 35%, but using genomic testing increases this reliability to 70%. The current barrier to the uptake of this innovation is the lack of farm level research and lack of awareness regarding the cost benefits. Bringing this modern innovation to farm scale will be very valuable to the industry by accelerating herd progression, boosting farm competitiveness and sustainability
Objectives
Nod y prosiect yw gwneud y gorau o gyfleoedd cynnal profion genomig ar heffrod i gyflymu cynnydd bridio mewn buchesi llaeth. Yn draddodiadol, gellir dibynnu gyda sicrwydd o 35% y bydd nodweddion yn cael eu hetifeddu o’r mynegai pedigri, ond mae’r sicrwydd hwnnw’n cynyddu i 70% trwy ddefnyddio profion genomig. Y rhwystr mwyaf rhag manteisio ar yr arloesedd hwn yw’r diffyg ymchwil ar lefel y fferm a diffyg ymwybyddiaeth ynglŷn a’r manteision ariannol. Bydd symud y datblygiad modern hwn i raddfa fferm yn werthfawr iawn i’r diwydiant trwy gyflymu datblygiad y fuches, rhoi hwb i allu’r fferm i gystadlu a’i chynaliadwyedd.
Activities
The project will fund genomic testing of 410 maiden Holstein-Friesians heifers across 8 commercial dairy farms. Each farm has listed the traits they’re aiming to improve within their herd, and progress towards these will be assessed over the lactations.
Project Aims
A decision tree for using genomics
Determine the correlation between genomic PTA’s and actual performance
A better understanding of the herd’s genetic profile, direction of travel and impact of breeding decisions for each participating farm.
A cost benefit analysis of genomic testing for each farm scenario.
Activities
Bydd y prosiect yn ariannu profion genomig ar gyfer 410 o heffrod Holstein-Friesian ar draws 8 fferm laeth fasnachol. Mae pob fferm wedi rhestru’r nodweddion y maent yn anelu at eu gwella o fewn eu buches, a bydd cynnydd tuag at y targedau hyn yn cael ei asesu dros y cyfnodau llaethiad.
Nodau’r prosiect
Cynhyrchu trefn benderfynu ar gyfer defnyddio genomeg
Pennu’r cysylltiad rhwng gallu trosglwyddo genomig disgwyliedig (PTA) a pherfformiad gwirioneddol
Sicrhau gwell dealltwriaeth o broffil genetig y fuches, tueddiadau ac effaith penderfyniadau bridio ar gyfer pob fferm sy’n cymryd rhan
Cynhyrchu dadansoddiad cost mantais o brofion genomig ar gyfer pob sefyllfa fferm
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Ort
- Main geographical location
- Conwy and Denbighshire
- Other geographical location
- Flintshire and Wrexham, Isle of Anglesey
EUR 46 967.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Project keyword
Ressourcen
Audiovisual materials
1 Practice Abstracts
The reliability of traits being inherited from the traditional pedigree index is 35%. By using genomic testing to measure DNA for production, type, fertility and health traits this can increase the reliability to 70%.
Bringing this modern innovation to farm scale will be very valuable to the industry by accelerating herd progression, boosting farm competitiveness and sustainability.
Project objectives
To genomic test a suitable proportion of heifers on each farm
To cost out each farms heifer rearing enterprise
To provide a genetics report for each farm before and after the genomic test results
To provide an aggregate report for all participating farms to benchmark their genetic profiles
To determine the most appropriate breeding programme for the heifers tested based on their genomic results
To collate first lactation performance and compare against genomic PTAs.
Through the small investment in genomic testing, breeding plans can be restructured to get the best output from the most valuable resource on the dairy farm, the herd.
35% yw dibynadwyedd etifeddu nodweddion o’r mynegai pedigri traddodiadol. Trwy ddefnyddio profion genomig i fesur DNA ar gyfer cynhyrchu, math, ffrwythlondeb a nodweddion iechyd gall hyn gynyddu’r dibynadwyedd i 70%.
Bydd symud y datblygiad modern hwn i raddfa fferm yn werthfawr iawn i’r diwydiant trwy gyflymu datblygiad y fuches, rhoi hwb i allu’r fferm i gystadlu a’i chynaliadwyedd.
Amcanion y prosiect
Cynnal profion genomig ar gyfran addas o heffrod ar bob fferm
Edrych ar gostau’r fenter magu heffrod ar bob fferm
Darparu adroddiad geneteg ar gyfer pob fferm cyn ac ar ôl canlyniadau’r profion genomig
Dewis y rhaglen fridio fwyaf addas ar gyfer yr heffrod a brofwyd yn seiliedig ar eu canlyniadau genomig
Casglu perfformiad y llaethiad cyntaf a chymharu yn erbyn PTA genomig.
Trwy fuddsoddiad bach mewn profi genomig, gall cynlluniau bridio gael eu hailstrwythuro i gael y cynnyrch gorau o’r adnoddau mwyaf gwerthfawr ar y fferm laeth, y fuches.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Will Jones
Project coordinator
Project partners
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Aled Jones
Project partner
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Aled Morris
Project partner
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Andy Dodd
Project partner
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Dewi Jones
Project partner
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Dewi Roberts
Project partner
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Giles Rowland
Project partner
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Huw Jones
Project partner
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Neil Blackburn
Project partner
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Tom Bletcher
Project partner
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Trevor Lloyd
Project partner