The Importance of Information Management and Genomics AARD Worshop Lakeland College February 11, 2015 Tom Lynch-Staunton Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta
Livestock Gentec Formerly the Alberta Bovine Genomics Program Expand to include Dairy and Pork An Alberta Innovates BioSolutions centre that was created to capitalize on world-class genomics research occurring at the University of Alberta and across Canada bring the commercial benefits of genomics to the Canadian livestock industry
A Collaborative Effort
What are our goals? Improve Production Efficiency (reduce environmental impact) Improve Quality (marbling, tenderness, nutrition) Improve animal health and well-being Food Safety and Traceability COLLABORATION
What can we be the best in the world at? To produce healthy and content livestock that have minimal or beneficial impacts to the environment, while minimizing costs and maximizing consumer attributes and perceptions. Choosing which animals to breed affects the entire value chain. So we better choose the right ones.
What is the optimal cow?
Depends on Information Management
The best traits pass to the next generation
Genetic Improvement How do we currently improve our cow herd? 1. Buying breeding animals with traits we like 2. Management and Culling Practices 3. Cross breeding and breed observations 4. By measuring phenotypes (BW, WW, etc) to build accurate EPD s or performance records, and select replacements with desired traits Selection is more efficient than culling
What is Genomics? The study of an organism s DNA sequence (genome): genes and variation in DNA sequence To be able to select bulls and replacement heifers with greater confidence Requires genomic tools but also phenotypic data.. In its infancy!
Genomics, DNA, and Markers As easy as ACGT the 4 letters of the genetic code. Everyone has a DNA code which determines what you look like, good at sports etc. animal 1 animal 2 A C G T A C G T A C G C A C G T this difference is a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism or SNP Marker
Today is the age of Genomics
What can Genomics do now? 1. Create predictors for hard to measure traits like RFI 2. Increase accuracies of EPD s through parentage 3. Identify which bulls are working 4. Now have genomically enhanced EPD s available in some breeds/ populations 5. Identify Genetic Defects or problems 6. Horned/polled test
Selection Without measuring and tracking traits over time, how would we ever know which is our best cow?
Continual Improvement Production Efficiency: 1977 vs. 2007 Same amount of beef now requires 70% of the animals 81% of the feed 88% of the water 67% of the land Resulting in a 16% decrease in the carbon footprint of beef (Capper 2011, Animal Frontiers) NOT DUE TO Genetic improvement
What if? LOW RFI cow J1042 (5 yr-old Hereford-Angus cow in the spring of 2004; RFI adj = -2.64 kg as fed/day; 2003 weight at weaning =787 kg). HIGH RFI cow E1245 (8 yr-old Hereford-Angus cow in the spring of 2004; RFI adj = 2.83 kg as fed/day; 2003 weight at weaning = 755 kg). Feed Savings over 1 year: 5.47kg as fed/day or 1997kg as fed/year difference between low and high RFI cows. At $90/tonne, this amounts to approximately $81.55/ head savings (no effects on fertility and carcass traits) Source: Basarab, Lacombe research station
Cost Benefit of Genetic Improvement Value of genetic gain in the Canadian Beef Industry: $3.90 profit/ cow mated / year (selecting bulls on BW, WW, PWG) This is cumulative meaning in 10 years, your cows are worth $39/cow more than day 1. This can increase to $6.58 when including feedlot and packer traits (RFI, ADG, Carcass) With increases in accuracy up to $9.43 with genomics Who Benefits depends on when you sell and information flow
Value of Parentage Total Gross Revenue derived from male offspring ranged from $4881 to $55,889 due to differences in sire prolificacy (Van Eenennaam, 2010) Identifying weird occurances on the ranch Most Importantly, EPD s can be developed by identifying relatives.
Value of DNA Profiles ACC= 1- (1 r 2 ) So the Igenity test would increase accuracy of BW EPD by 12% in an Angus purebred bull
Economic Questions Value of using DNA test for bull selection for seedstock? Intermediate accuracy (25%), commercial sire value $340 Direct value back to the producer would be ~ $170 Stud sire, genetic improvement was predicted at $506 Additional research; producers willing to buy bulls with information and accurate EPDs at ~AUD $56/bull Source: Van Eenennaam NBCEC, 2012
Challenge What do our customers want and how do we provide it?
How do you make a decision?
Importance of Information 1. The importance of using EPD s for selection 2. The importance of selection indexes 3. The value of a breeding animal with information 4. The importance of sharing information throughout the value chain (BIXS) for gains in carcass quality or feedlot traits 5. The importance of using technology (smart phones, data management software, etc) As producers, we can tend to forget about how important the numbers are, or focus in the short term: Well I didn t notice any changes
What To Do on the Ranch? 1. Buy a data management software system 2. Create performance records on your cows 3. Sort your best and worst cows based on the records (best-maternal, worst-terminal) 4. Select replacement heifers from your best cows 5. Buy Bulls with as Accurate EPD s as possible using a selection index (maternal or terminal) Make sure the good looking bull is also the best bull- Look at the data first 6. Use of Genomics (parentage, heifer DNA profiles, EPD s, and selection indexes) 7. BE Patient
When is the best time to plant a tree?
Fear of Technology, Change, and information overload
The contribution to the business of an individual producer is very much a consequence of how they behave in the sense of sourcing bulls the key decision for a producer is choosing their bull breeder as this determines their own rate of genetic progress. - Dr. Peter Fennessey, Abacus Bio Ltd., New Zealand
Questions? Livestock Gentec 1400 College Plaza :www.livestockgentec.com 8215 112 Street :lynchsta@ualberta.ca Edmonton AB T6G 2C8