The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

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The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes

Transcript of The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Page 1: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

The sheep industry and genomics:

Current opportunities, future potential

Ben Hayes

Page 2: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

• Question: Is anything 100 times cheaper now than in 2006?

No. ~ 3 times cheaper (if you’re lucky)

No. ~ 20 times cheaper

Page 3: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

The technology

• 50,000 DNA markers on a chip• ~ 100 x cheaper than 6 years ago

Page 4: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Hard to measure, late in life

• Lean meat yield, number of lambs weaned

• Genomic breeding values: Pedigree “borrows” information

from relatives “Borrow” information from

animals with similar DNA profile

• For young rams, like having some progeny with records!

Page 5: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Recipe for success?

• The lesson from Dairy, beef, sheep• Require large “reference” populations

– Key traits measured (html)– DNA profiles evaluated with chip – Larger -> more accuracy

• Sheep CRC Information nucleus ideal! > 12,000 progeny

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Accuracy of selection results in gain

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Accuracy = 35%

Page 7: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Accuracy of selection results in gain

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Accuracy = 35%

Top 10 GEBV

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Accuracy = 70%

Top 10 GEBV

Doubling accuracy is doubling gain!

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Accuracies of genomic breeding values

Trait Terminal Merino Beef

Post weaning wt 0.35 0.56 0.35

Intra muscular fat 0.38 0.19

Tenderness 0.34 0.19 0.33

Iron 0.26 0.24

Omega-3 0.17 0.23

Adult fleece weight 0.66

Adult fibre diameter 0.76

Page 10: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Accuracies of genomic breeding values

Trait Terminal Merino Beef

Post weaning wt 0.35 0.56 0.35

Intra muscular fat 0.38 0.19

Tenderness 0.34 0.19 0.33

Iron 0.26 0.24

Omega-3 0.17 0.23

Adult fleece weight 0.66

Adult fibre diameter 0.76

Page 11: The sheep industry and genomics: Current opportunities, future potential Ben Hayes.

Accuracies of genomic breeding values

Trait Terminal Merino Beef

Post weaning wt 0.35 0.56 0.35

Intra muscular fat 0.38 0.19

Tenderness 0.34 0.19 0.33

Iron 0.26 0.24

Omega-3 0.17 0.23

Adult fleece weight 0.66

Adult fibre diameter 0.76

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Accuracies of genomic breeding values

Trait Beef Dairy

Milk production 0.78

Fertility 0.35 0.60

Feed conversion 0.42 0.42

Longevity 0.64

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Without genomics • $2 ewe / yr

With current genomics extra 10%• $2.20 ewe / yr

After 7 years of Sheep CRC extra 30%• $2.60 ewe / yr

Even greater in Merinos

Economic benefit?

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o Young sire programs More accurate selection of young rams

o Juvenile in vitro embyro transfer (JIVET) Choose ewe lambs with genomic ASBVs!

o Halve generation interval

o Towards 100% increased gain ($4/ewe/yr)?

Reduce generation interval?

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Conclusions Rapid cost reduction DNA technology Accurate genomic breeding values

Other traits on the way Number of lambs weaned, Omega-3

Synergies young sire programs, JIVET Towards doubling rate of gain?