The 'art' of Delivering Genomics to the Beef Herd

Genomic selection enables animal breeders to select animals of greater genetic merit with higher accuracy and at a younger age as compared to traditional breeding strategies, therefore achieving increased selection precision and decreased generation intervals. By combining genomic selection with assisted reproductive technologies (ART), it is possible to further reduce the generation interval by selecting animals while they are embryos or by the breeding of prepubertal animals. Furthermore, ART allow the maximization of selection intensity, allowing for the use of fewer animals contributing their desirable genetic traits to the next generation. Therefore, the combination of genomic selection and ART offers great potential to accelerate genetic progress. Here we present how different ART can be combined with genomic selection.