Genetic and phenotypic improvements in temperate dairy systems: an overview

Publication date: 23/12/2019
Extent: 18 pages

Contributions by: Allison Fleming, Canadian Dairy Network, Canada; Tatiane Chud, University of Guelph, Canada; Luiz Brito, Purdue University, USA; Francesca Malchiodi, Semex, Canada; and Christine Baes and Filippo Miglior, University of Guelph, Canada

Chapter synopsis: In the past 50 years, the dairy industry has benefitted from major advances in management, nutrition practices, reproductive technologies, and genetic selection. The refinement of selection indices over time has been shown to be an effective way to make progress on a variety of economically important traits such as production. This chapter provides an overview of developments during this time in traits considered for selection in dairy cattle and the improvements achieved. It features sections on production, conformation, reproduction and health in dairy cattle. The chapter concludes with a section on other novel and functional traits as the identification and recording of additional, non-production traits (i.e. fertility) has permitted the genetic evaluation of additional, valuable traits and the broadening of selection goals. The authors note that further breakthroughs with genomic selection have enabled improvements to be made in many novel areas.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0058.01