12.4.1.3 Effects of genomic selection (2024)
- Tessa Jacobs
- Kor Oldenbroek
Only that results already in doubling the selection response per year (see next figure (genomic selection started in 2007). On top of that genomic selection gives a higher reliability especially for females. Already at 3 weeks of age, if DNA is sampled and analyzed directly after birth, the reliability for milk production of females is already 0.65. Without genomic selection this is 0.30 and after three lactations it is still not higher than 0.50. This makes it attractive for farmers to use genomic selection for the selection of replacement heifers in their herds.
The value of genomics is illustrated in the next table with different trait groups. The trait groups differ in heritability and in the age of the animals when the phenotypes become available. The latter determines to a great extent the potential value of genomic selection. The potential is greatest for the traits that become available late in live. However, the potential is highest for feed intake traits. Recording that trait is costly and performed at a limited number of farms. But the training population of 10,000 cows with genomic and feed intake data is already very effective in the genomic selection on feed efficiency, despite that it comprises less than 1 per cent (the phenotype fraction) of the Eurogenomics population of 10 million Holstein Friesian cows.
NLD/FLA is the CRV population in The Netherlands and Flanders. The contributors to the EuroGenomics reference population are: Allice (on behalf of EVOLUTION, Origen Plus, Gènes Diffusion), CRV, Viking Genetics, Vit and DHV, Conafe, Genomika Polska (on behalf of the Polish federation of cattle breeders and dairy farmers and the 4 Polish AI centres).
