Replacing heifers based on visual phenotype and genetic merit, rather than early screening, leaves potential long-term herd retention on the table, University of Missouri animal scientist Jordan Thomas says.
Tag Archives genetics
Reframing the view on heifer retention
Expanded screening tools can take the guesswork out of choosing replacement heifers
DNA testing can have value in commercial beef sector
Costs of Production: There are advantages to testing some cows, heifers, bulls and calves
There is growing interest in the commercial beef industry around using DNA to inform selection decisions. While traditionally the realm of the seedstock industry, commercial DNA testing and changes in the way we manage cattle have led to some big changes in how we think about genetic selection. DNA testing, in broad terms, means using […] Read more
Increasing AI use has many advantages
Animal Health: There are improved technologies for breeding and synchronization, for which AI makes more sense
Over the last decade or so, artificial insemination (AI), not to be confused with the other AI (artificial intelligence), has seen an upsurge in the commercial cattle population. This has been happening for a lot longer in the purebred cattle industry and a lot of the reasons are the same. If one is considering AI […] Read more
Science Brief: Plants adapt genes to farming methods
Farming practices can trigger genetic adaptions in plants, according to research at the University of Bonn. The 23-year project started in the late 1990s, when a research group led by Jens Léon started an experiment into how farming conditions affect plant genetic material. Researchers first increased genetic variation by crossing high-yield barley with a wild […] Read more
Select the right corn hybrids for your fields
Consider a hybrid that has the most genetic potential to meet yield goals while managing production stressors
Glacier FarmMedia — Corn seed is arguably one of a farmer’s greatest input investments each year, making the selection of the right hybrid mix an increasingly important task. “The most yield potential a crop has is when the seed goes into the ground,” says Paul Sullivan, CCA with Sullivan Agro Inc. “After that, stresses like […] Read more
EU governments fail to agree on gene-editing rules despite patent exception
A last-ditch attempt by EU governments to break a deadlock over relaxing regulations on gene-edited crops failed after countries including Poland rejected changes to the text that exempted patented seeds from the measure.
How broccoli may give canola traits a bump
Traits from related brassica species may improve canola diversity
Glacier FarmMedia – There’s little doubt that canola is a powerhouse crop. Nationwide, it covered nearly 22.1 million acres last year, more than 99 per cent of it on the Prairies. The Canola Council of Canada puts its economic contribution at nearly $30 billion a year. A University of Alberta researcher, backed by the Natural […] Read more
Funding to help make cattle data gathering easier
Partnership between Angus and Holstein association will look at sharing trait information and how to automate data management
New funding for the Canadian Angus Association and Holstein Canada will allow them to improve the data that goes into genetic evaluations and expand into new areas including carcass quality and traits that help limit the environmental impact of beef.
Sequenced genome makes good reading for oat breeding
The resulting roadmap should help researchers work through oats’ genetic complexity
Glacier FarmMedia – While it has its defenders among those who grow oats for food, feed and seed markets, oat production often goes undervalued in a land where canola and wheat are kings. That’s why the recent creation of the world’s first reference genome for oats is a significant step toward a more targeted approach […] Read more
What’s in the canola pipeline?
Product managers of some of the country’s leading seed companies share their insights
Canola has been called a Canadian success story, and for good reason. It’s estimated the country’s canola value chain generates nearly $30 billion in economic activity annually. But even the best success stories sometimes must change with the times. That’s why the agriculture industry spends millions of dollars each year to develop new canola varieties […] Read more
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