Genomic Analysis, Progress and Future Perspectives in Dairy Cattle Selection: A Review

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Agricultural Science
• Genomic Selection

Background:

• Genomics offers valuable selection tools for dairy cattle breeding, crucial for increasing productivity through genomic breeding values (GEBVs).
• Understanding gene regulation and haplotypes can refine dairy cattle selection strategies.
• Current genomic methods like GWAS and ssGBLUP are integrated into global dairy programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advances and challenges in using genomic tools for dairy cattle selection.
• To discuss optimizing breeding programs and mitigating inbreeding depression effects.
• To explore genomic selection's role in precision dairy farm management and future genome editing.

Main Methods:

• Review of current genomic technologies and their application in dairy cattle breeding.
• Analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), QTL, SNPs, and ssGBLUP methods.
• Discussion of genetic progress, inbreeding depression, and selection accuracy.

Main Results:

• Genomic prediction significantly increases the accuracy of selecting superior dairy cattle candidates.
• Genomic tools improve understanding of genetic effects and enhance genetic gain.
• Conventional models risk suboptimal results due to reliance on low-heritability traits and inbreeding.

Conclusions:

• Genomic selection is vital for optimizing dairy cattle breeding programs and enhancing productivity.
• Genomic tools help control negative inbreeding depression effects, improving reproductive performance.
• Future applications include precision dairy management and genome editing for economic gains.