Impact of Biotechnology on Animal Breeding and Genetic Progress Gengler

Animal breeding is a field related to a whole range of biotechnologies. The impact of a biotechnology can be measured by the influence it has on genetic progress. According to the type of biotechnology considered, different component of genetic progress may be affected: accuracy of prediction, generation interval, intensity of selection and genetic variance. The first type of biotechnologies affects the efficiency of male and female reproduction: artificial insemination, multiple ovulation, in-vitro-fertilization, ova pick-up, embryo-transfer, twining, sexing of semen and embryos cloning and selfing. The impact of these technologies is mainly in the enhanced distribution of superior germplasm and the selection intensity, but also in the accuracy obtained when testing animals. In the past, artificial insemination has been a very successful biotechnology, enhancing greatly the genetic progress. A secondary, negative, impact is that these biotechnologies affect indirectly genetic diversity and therefore reduce genetic variance. A second group of biotechnologies can improve determination of the genetic merit of animals. These are all the techniques relate to quantitative or economical trait loci (QTL/ETL), their detection and use. Their main feature is the early availability in life, therefore allowing an earlier and more accurate selection. Two direction of research exists: detection of markers for the unknown QTL and direct use of a potential candidate genes as QTL/ETL. QTL/ETL will have a major impact on animal breeding especially if their use in future breeding programs can be optimized. A last type of biotechnologies with a large potential to affect animal breeding in the future are those with the ability to transform artificially DNA. The impact of these technologies is however still no very clear especially as gene expression and other issues remain unsolved. Biotechnology had, has and will have a major impact on animal breeding and genetic progress. To a certain extend animal breeding is a very promising field to use biotechnology as the past has already proven.