The accuracies of DNA-based estimates of genetic merit derived from Angus or multibreed beef cattle training populations

Authors

K. L. Weber, University of California, Davis
D. J. Drake, University of California, Davis
J. F. Taylor, University of Missouri, Columbia
Dorian Garrick, Iowa State UniversityFollow
Larry A. Kuehn, USDA-ARS, MARCFollow
R. Mark Thallman, U.S. Meat Animal Research CenterFollow
Robert D. Schnabel, University of Missouri - ColumbiaFollow
Warren M. Snelling, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, USDAFollow
E. J. Pollak, USDA-ARSFollow
A. L. Van Eenennaam, University of California, DavisFollow

Date of this Version

2012

Document Type

Article

Citation

J. Anim. Sci. 2012.90:4191–4202

doi:10.2527/jas2011-5020

Comments

US gov't work

Abstract

Several organizations have developed prediction models for molecular breeding values (MBV) for quantitative growth and carcass traits in beef cattle using Bovine SNP50 genotypes and phenotypic or EBV data. Molecular breeding values for Angus cattle have been developed by IGENITY, Pfi zer Animal Genetics, and a collaboration between researchers from Iowa State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia (ISU/UMC). The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC; Clay Center, NE) has also developed MBV for 16 cattle breeds using 2 multibreed populations, the Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) Program and the 2,000 Bull Project (2K_ALL), and 2 single breed subpopulations of the 2,000 Bull Project, Angus (2K_AN) and Hereford (2K_HH). In this study, these MBV were assessed relative to commercial ranch EBV estimated from the progeny phenotypes of Angus bulls naturally mated in multisire breeding pastures to commercial cows: 121 for USMARC MBV, 99 for ISU/UMC MBV, and 29 for IGENITY and Pfizer MBV (selected based on number of progeny carcass records). Five traits were analyzed: weaning weight (WW), HCW, marbling score (MS), rib-eye muscle area (RE), and, for IGENITY and Pfi zer only, feedlot ADG. The average accuracies of MBV across traits were 0.38 ± 0.05 for IGENITY, 0.61 ± 0.12 for Pfizer, 0.46 ± 0.12 for ISU/UMC, 0.16 ± 0.04 for GPE, 0.26 ± 0.05 for 2K_ALL, 0.24 ± 0.04 for 2K_AN, and 0.02 ± 0.12 for 2K_HH. Angus-based MBV (IGENITY, Pfizer, ISU/UMC, and 2K_AN) explained larger proportions of genetic variance in this population than GPE, 2K_ALL, or 2K_HH MBV for the same traits. In this data set, IGENITY, Pfizer, and ISU/UMC MBV were predictive of realized performance of progeny, and incorporation of that information into national genetic evaluations would be expected to improve EPD accuracy, particularly for young animals.