Genomic Testing
Practical Application of Genomic Tests in Beef Production
By Megan Rolf, Kansas State University
Knowing which genetic tests should be
applied to your operation can become
a daunting task, especially since the
quantity of genomic tests is in constant
flux. This article will deliver practical
applications for genomic testing
for both seedstock and commercial
producers, as well as directing you to
resources where you can locate up-to-
date information on applications of
genomic tests in the beef industry.
What are genomic tests?
Genomic test is a term that encompasses
a wide variety of tools that can be used
in the beef industry and ranges from
parentage testing to SNP chips that
provide information on a large number
of markers in the genome. Essentially,
a genomic test uses a DNA sample to
determine what variation the animal
inherited (usually a single base change in
the DNA, called a SNP). The information
you obtain can be useful, such as an
animal’s sire or dam (parentage testing),
or to predict their performance for a
quantitative trait (like growth, marbling,
or milking potential, to name a few).
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How can seedstock breeders
use genomic tests?
Seedstock producers may utilize
genomic tests for a variety of purposes.
For example, a parentage test might
be utilized to verify the pedigree
before registering an embryo transfer
calf. Often, seedstock breeders will be
contemplating the use of a genomic
test to build EPD accuracy on young
sires for quantitative traits. This is a
useful tool for selection within their own
herd, or as a service to their customers
contemplating the purchase of young
herd sires with higher accuracy EPDs.
How can commercial cattlemen use
genomic tests?
Commercial cattlemen may find that
parentage testing can be incredibly
useful to verify pedigree (whether in
a multi-sire breeding pasture or not).
For animals with ambiguous birth
dates, parentage testing can help verify
the correct sire so that performance
of animals can be compared across
various sire groups. In multi-sire
breeding pastures, some sires produce
a disproportionate number of calves.
Knowing which sires are most productive
can help make the correct management
choices so bull batteries include those
bulls which maximize profitability.
One of the chief benefits of genomic
testing to commercial cattlemen is
the ability to purchase bulls that have
been genomically tested and who have
that information incorporated into
their EPDs. The increased accuracy of
EPDs that genomic tests offer can be
immensely valuable for making selection
decisions, particularly for traits that are
critical to your operation because of
labor or marketing, such as calving ease,
weaning weight, or marbling score.
Where can I go to find more information?
There are a variety of beneficial online
resources to learn more about genomic
testing. Please consider visiting eBEEF.
org to learn more about selection
tools, genomics, and crossbreeding.
In addition, there are videos available
on these subjects on both eBEEF.
org and beefreproduction.org. I