85 research outputs found

    INTERACTION OF MATERNAL GRANDSIRE WITH REGION OF UNITED STATES AND HERD FOR CALVING EASE, BIRTH WEIGHT AND 205-DAY WEIGHT

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    Field records supplied by the American Simmental Association from 2-yr-old dams were used to study maternal grandsire • region of the U.S. and maternal grandsire • herd within region (herd/region) interactions. Regions were 1) Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, 2) Kansas and Nebraska, 3) Texas and Oklahoma and 4) Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Analyses were conducted pairwise with respect to region with the following number of animals in each comparison: 1 (3,964) vs 2 (2,239), 1 (3,996) vs 3 (1,660), 1 (3,418) vs 4 (474), 2 (2,033) vs 3 (1,709), 2 (1,666) vs 4 (443) and 3 (1,372) vs 4 (430). Independent variables were the fixed effects of region, sex of calf, Simmental percentage of the calf (75 to 88%) and the random effects of herd/region, maternal grandsire, maternal grandsire • region and maternal grandsire • herd/ region. Records were adjusted to account for the direct effect of maternal grandsire in the maternal grandsire component. Dependent variables were calving ease score, birth weight and 205-d weight. Region was significant in all analyses except for 1 vs 2, 1 vs 3 and 2 vs 3 for calving ease score and 2 vs 3 for birth weight and 205-d weight. Herd/region was significant in all analyses. Maternal grandsire was significant in all analyses for calving ease score and birth weight and for 1 vs 2 for 205-d weight. Maternal grandsire X region was not significant in any analysis. Maternal grandsire X herd/region was significant in four of six analyses for birth weight and 205-d weight, but was not significant in any analysis for calving ease score. Maternal grandsire, maternal grandsire X region interaction and maternal grandsire • herd/region interaction accounted for an average of 4, 0 and 1%; 3, 0 and 5%; and 0, 0 and 3% of the total variation for calving ease, birth weight and 205-d weight, respectively. Genetic correlations of maternal grandsires\u27 progeny performance in different herds ranged from .20 to .74 for birth weight and from .05 to .34 for 205-d weight, indicating significant changes in rank from herd to herd

    Identifying the Future Needs for Long-Term USDA Efforts in Agricultural Animal Genomics

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    <p>Agricultural animal research has been immensely successful over the past century in developing technology and methodologies that have dramatically enhanced production efficiency of the beef, dairy, swine, poultry, sheep, and aquaculture industries. In the past two decades, molecular biology has changed the face of agricultural animal research, primarily in the arena of genomics and the relatively new offshoot areas of functional genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and metagenomics. Publication of genetic and physical genome maps in the past 15 years has given rise to the possibility of being able finally to understand the molecular nature of the genetic component of phenotypic variation. While quantitative geneticists have been remarkably successful in improving production traits, genomic technology holds potential for being able to lead to more accurate and rapid animal improvement, especially for phenotypic traits that are difficult to measure.</p> <p>Recently, the agricultural research community has been able to capitalize on the infrastructure built by the human genome project by sequencing two of the major livestock genomes (<i>Gallus domesticus</i> and <i>Bos Taurus</i>). The 2005 calendar year is truly unprecedented in the history of agricultural animal research since draft genome sequences were completed for chickens and cattle. In addition, sequencing the swine and equine genome was initiated in early 2006. We now have in place a powerful toolbox for understanding the genetic variation underlying economically important and complex phenotypes.</p> <p>Over the past few years, new challenges have emerged for animal agriculture. Enhancements in production efficiency have not come without some negative side effects on animal well-being and longevity in production environments, including losses in reproductive efficiency, increased stress susceptibility, increased animal waste issues, and increased susceptibility to animal metabolic and infectious diseases. When considered in concert with societal concerns in the areas of natural resource conservation and protection, animal welfare, and food safety, it is clear that publicly supported agricultural research must be focused on enhancing the functionality and well-being of livestock and poultry in environmentally neutral production systems in the future.</p> <p>Realizing the great potential for animal genomics to address these and other issues, a workshop was convened by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC in September of 2004. The workshop was entitled <i>&#8220;Charting the Road Map for Long Term USDA Efforts in Agricultural Animal Genomics&#8221;</i>. This paper summarizes the proceedings of the workshop and the resulting recommendations. The need for a cohesive, comprehensive long-term plan for all of USDA's research efforts in animal genomics was evident at the workshop, requiring further integration of the efforts of the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to achieve the greatest return on investment.</p
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