The Canadian Simmental Association has received a $1.7 million federal grant for genetic research and improvement.
The three year project involves analyzing DNA for fertility, feed efficiency and carcass quality in Simmental breeding stock and crossbreds.
The Simmental association requires members to provide DNA samples from their registered bulls, so much of the material is already available for further evaluation, said Sandy Russell, program manager with the association.
“There are existing samples sitting there and we are also going to target some of those sires that aren’t in the data set yet,” she said.
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“This will allow them to get some of those last key ones that add to the whole. They have a huge impact on the genetic composition of the herd.”
DNA samples from cows also exist. They will track progeny so that information can be compared and validated with subsequent generations. Traits such as fertility could be examined.
“The results are going to have a far reaching impact for the entire industry,” Russell said.
Canadian researchers have already met with Simmental associations in Australia and the United States to avoid duplication of work and share resources and data.
“We would rather co-operate with that and add any additional data we can within our project to complement that,” she said.
Most of the analytic work will be done at the University of Guelph.
As well, Genome Canada has funded a $2 million project to look at the complex trait of beef tenderness. It brings together expertise and resources in meat science, genetics and genomics to build a predictive genomic tool for beef tenderness.
Expected progeny differences (EPDs) are an index commonly used in bull selection, and the industry can now add molecular breeding values (MBVs) to assess cattle.
However, the science is so new that many producers need to catch up with the latest information. This project includes money to teach producers how to combine the information from EPDs and MBVs.
An EPD becomes more accurate as a bull produces more offspring that can be evaluated. For a young bull without progeny records, genomic information can reveal traits sooner, said Steve Miller of the U of G, who is working on the Simmental project.
The Holstein breed already has a well established set of genomic predictions because the cattle are constantly being evaluated. There are more beef breeds and crossbreeds, which makes analyzing them more difficult but not impossible.
“We don’t have the luxury of one breed, so ideally we would like to have a genetic prediction that works across breeds,” Miller said.
Researchers know the work comes down to the individual rather than a general breed trait.
Most of the work focuses on meat quality and feed efficiency because it is harder to use traditional breeding and selection methods to produce an animal guaranteed to produce tender beef.
There are potential pitfalls with this technology. For example, it’s possible to select for the yearling weight trait and then later discover problems with excessive birth weights.
However, some traits seem to be linked as proven.
“Tenderness and docility may be favourably related,” he said.
However, beef tenderness and feed efficiency are potentially antagonistic because cattle selected for tenderness have more of the enzymes that break down tissue in the carcass and make it more tender. This is called protein turnover, but it can be more expensive to maintain those animals because the body is replacing tissue all the time.
“Protein turnover is good for beef tenderness but not good for feed efficiency,” Miller said.
Other factors also affect these qualities, but it does not mean both cannot be found in one animal.
Scientists are prepared to find the unexpected, such as recessive genes responsible for defects that may result in dead or crippled calves.
