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Summer Highlights

This edition highlights key takeaways from ICAR-Interbull and WCGALP, two of the world's leading conferences for animal recording, breeding, and genetics. We also feature a recent validation study of Lactanet's Methane Efficiency evaluation, along with important upcoming dates.

Conference Highlights

ICAR-Interbull

Lactanet Presentations

• Colin Lynch – BWYPEX: Discovery, Approval and Management of Genetic Abnormalities in Cattle

• Several Lactanet colleagues also presented at ICAR. The full program can be found online

Key Takeaways

• There are many opportunities for developing additional indicators from milk spectral data.

• Despite the rise in new on-farm data sources including sensors, standardization is crucial so that outputs can be compared reliably. Lactanet has been collaborating with iDDEN and is participating in a working group focused on the use of robotic milking data.

• Single-step methodology, which calculates genomic evaluations by simultaneously using all pedigree, performance, and genotypic information is becoming the standard framework for genetic evaluation units. Lactanet is currently working on this transition and will provide an update at OIS.

• New traits are entering official evaluations worldwide, especially fertility, health, efficiency, and methane. Many of these areas align well with Lactanet's current evaluations and expertise.

• Climate-smart breeding is becoming practical, not just conceptual, with future opportunities to identify animals that can maintain performance under environmental challenges, such as heat stress.

WCGALP

Lactanet Presentations

• Liuhong Chen - Predicting Average Progeny Inbreeding in Canadian Holstein Cattle Using Expected Runs of Homozygosity

• Cindy Jaton - Balancing Methane Reduction and Genetic Gain: Insights from Methane Efficiency Evaluations in Canadian Holsteins

• Lactanet was also key collaborators on several presentations throughout the conference. Full program is available online.

Key Takeaways

• Technological innovation (i.e. robotic and sensor-based phenotyping, electrical conductivity, wearables, body measurements, 3D images, automated feeders) continues to rapidly expand the tools and proxies available for animal breeding. However, genetic evaluations for hard-to-measure traits are limited by phenotype standardization, calibration, and data-sharing.

• Statistical methodologies are becoming sophisticated and more effective.

• Breeding goals continue to broaden moving from maximizing production to optimizing efficiency, low-emission, and climate-resiliency.

• Several themes emerged across the conference: