Producers embrace sheep DNA testing

AUSTRALIA'S sheep producers are queuing up to adopt new DNA technology, with the latest Sheep Genomics Pilot Project fully subscribed.

The DNA testing program, conducted by the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), was booked out within days of its opening in August.

The Genomics Pilot Project offers three DNA testing programs: a SNP test for parentage at $17/test; a SNP test for Merino poll/horn for $17/test; and the 50k SNP test for prediction of genomic breeding values for sires at a cost of $50/test. Merinos tested for parentage, or with the 50k SNP, are receiving the poll test results at no additional cost.

The 1500 genotyping tests available as part of Pilot Project III have been fully subscribed, and a further 1500 tests allocated for commercial scale trials has also been over-subscribed, Sheep CRC chief executive James Rowe said.

With the use of DNA analysis and genomic breeding values being a very new technology, R&D is occurring in parallel with the Genomics Pilot Projects in order to define the most effective use of the new technologies in practical breeding programs.

"For this reason, the CRCs genetics research team will be working closely with a group of nine commercial-scale breeders who have submitted expressions of interest.

This is a resounding vote of confidence in the commercial value of genomics technology for sheep breeding programs.

The Sheep CRC has conducted a Genomics Pilot Project yearly since 2010, with the number of rams tested each year increasing dramatically, from approximately 450 rams in 2010, to 860 rams in 2011 and now 3000 rams in 2012.

This years project will build on the earlier trials, which provided genomic predictions for new traits including dressing percentage and lean meat yield, together with traits for meat eating quality such as intramuscular fat and shear force that are difficult and expensive to measure.

It is expected that the accuracy levels of research breeding values (RBVs) and Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) will further improve as a result of the additional data collected during the Genomics Pilot Project and through the Information Nucleus program.

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Producers embrace sheep DNA testing