Interview: Genetically efficient herd - practical application of innovative approaches in cattle genetics

We would like to remind you that in October of this year at the international agricultural congress “ASIAEXPO 2023” the topic of genetics was discussed quite actively. Including at the practical session “Cattle.Genetics.” touched upon the issues of application and interpretation of genomic testing results, considered the impact of genomic assessment of first-calf heifers on actual MILK production, and the model of the cow of the future especially aroused the interest of the audience. 

We decided to address our questions to the moderator of this practical session, DIRECTOR for Innovation and Development of Key Partners at MK Genetics LLC, Anna Zelenina.

Editor: Hello, Anna. First, tell us what genetic factors most influence the productivity and efficiency of the herd?

Anna Zelenina: Dairy farm managers are responsible for managing many factors that affect farm profitability. Among them is the effective conversion of cash, feed and labor into milk.

In today's conditions, we have little influence on purchasing prices, but we have the power to manage costs. This can only be achieved if the breeding strategy is responsive to market trends and is aimed at creating animals whose genetic value significantly exceeds that of the previous generation.

Now, with the help of genetics, we have the opportunity to build selection based on feed conversion. Large cows need more energy to maintain vital functions and move their bodies, function cells, breathe, etc. Medium-sized cows, according to research, have a lower risk of retirement.

In the LNM (lifetime profit index) formula, it is not without reason that body weight has a negative coefficient due to feed costs.

R.: What new trends and innovations in the field of genetics are being used to improve the quality of MEAT and milk in cattle?

A.Z.: If we talk about Cattle dairy productivity, then the Shift meat program is gaining increasing momentum - insemination of dairy cows with meat semen in commercial farming conditions. When making this decision, the HEAD of the enterprise, together with the breeder, must be sure that the beef bulls used have in their assessment minimum scores for ease of calving and a positive assessment for semen fertility, since it is necessary to know for sure that the cows will become pregnant and calving will take place without any special problems. complications.

A beef program should be considered when the replacement herd is larger than the lactating cow group, or if you simply want the added financial benefit of selling first generation F1 calves.

The first thing to consider is the ranking of animals by genetics (pedigree or genomic evaluation results): from cows with the most elite genetics to cows with the lowest breeding value. Use sexed milk semen on cows with the best genetics and beef semen on cows with the lowest genetics to produce F1 calves (also known as “strategic breeding”).

Within the framework of this strategy, it is worth considering the semen of Charolais, Limousin and Belgian Blue breeds; it is these combinations with Holsteins that provide high quality meat from crossbred calves. An additional advantage is the increased efficiency of insemination.

We can influence the quality characteristics of milk by focusing on the transferability of fat and protein in the assessment of the bull being assigned; these characteristics have a high degree of heritability.

R.: Share, what new directions and technologies in the field of cattle genetics do you think are most promising in the future? 

A.Z.: An innovative approach in genetics - refusal to use live animals and the transition to working with embryos, tissues and stem cell cultures exclusively in laboratory conditions, determining the genetic potential of tissues. The process will end whenscientists receive tissue cultures from ideal bulls and heifers, and the ideal embryo obtained from them is transferred to a cow.

R.: If we go a little deeper here... How does the use of biotechnology change approaches to breeding? 

A.Z.: Embryo transfer allows you to increase the rate of genetic progress by 20-24 times in comparison with traditional semen (from traditional semen we get 0.5 heifers per year from one uterus, with embryo transfer - 10-12 heifers). However, this technology is impossible without a complete understanding of the breeding value of the herd (genotyping) and well-functioning management.

The embryonic program also makes it possible to reduce the generation interval in bull production. Knowing the genetic potential of the heifer, at the age of two months, eggs are taken from her, fertilized, and the resulting embryo is implanted. This significantly increases the intensity of selection.
 Geneticist John Cole, in his presentation at a conference in Milan, presented a biological method of sexing semen. This technology consists in the fact that the sire immediately produces semen, separated by sex. Few people believed in the project. But a beef bull has already been created for productivity, in which 70% of the offspring are male. Thiswork is also being carried out on bulls in the dairy direction of productivity.

R.: Let's return a little closer to the farmer's request. What factors influence the choice of parents for further selection in your work?

A.Z.: Enterprises participating in the bull production program in my area of ​​​​responsibility select outstanding mothers based on genomic assessment, individuals with a transmitting ability according to LNM of more than $900 are taken into account, then bulls are secured from the TOP rating - 100 according to the lifetime profit index ( LNM$), taking into account the pedigree of the couple. In the conditions of industrial milk production, we can increase the intensity of genetic progress by using sex-separated semen in the tactics of work on the best part of the herd (heifers and first-calf heifers), thereby increasing a larger array of breeding stock with high genetic potential, taking into account index selection . When choosing future fathers, I consider bulls with LNM from $1000.

R.: Perhaps we’ll ask the main question for today. How best to integrate new breeding advances into traditional farming practices

A.Z.: The shortest answer is wisely)). With any innovation, the ability to ask questions to yourself and the business owner and the ability to build an optimal strategy based on the answers is important.

Let's take embryo transfer technology as an example. What questions should we ask?

Will the increased value of replacement young stock pay for the additional costs of obtaining it and the negative impact on the efficiency of reproduction in the herd? Are there donor cows/heifers in the herd whose genetics are significantly superior to other animals? Are there any uniquely superior bulls? Are the farming technologies and organization of reproduction and rearing of young animals so advanced as to ensure the success of additional investments?

Based on global trends, it is very unusual for a large industrial complex to work with embryos. It's all about the numbers.

In order to do this on your own farm, you need heifers that significantly exceed the average genetic potential of the herd (more than $1000 LNM) in order to justify the costs.

Another reason to use embryos is the presence of a unique bull, the semen of which is extremely expensive and is available in limited quantities. In this case, the embryo procedure provides an opportunity to expand its use.
Again: it is important to understand that donors should not be selected based on their own productivity. There were examples of washing out embryos from champions of milk productivity in order to bring the entire herd to such productivity, however, reality would not allow this to be achieved, because most likely those cows used some other opportunities, and these ideal conditions are not given to the embryo.

The yield of live calves should also be taken into account; with IVF there will be 5-10% fewer of them.
In my opinion, there is only one reason for using embryo transplantation to revive domestic bull production.< /span>