There are other uses of DNA for genetic evaluation purposes. These technologies have lower levels of precision for selection than BREEDPLAN EBVs. However, they are more widely available to all sectors of the beef cattle industry, including commercial producers and breeders of composite cattle.
Other uses of DNA for genetic evaluation purposes include:
- Herd profiling
- These are mob-based tools that allow you to benchmark where your herd sits. They provide an average of your herd only (i.e. not an individual animal). This allows you to make informed decisions around which bulls to purchase to move your herd towards your breeding objective(s). Herd profiling tools are currently being commercialised. Once available, producers with tropically-adapted cattle will be able to use these tools to benchmark their herd.
- Genomic Breeding Values (GBVs)
GBVs can be used by large-scale commercial production systems to understand the genetic merit of individual breeding females and provide an objective way to select female replacements. GBVs offer a different range of traits and lower accuracy compared to full genetic evaluation (e.g. BREEDPLAN). GBVs are in the process of commercialisation. Once available, producers will be able to use these tools to select female replacements.
