Genomic studies for feed and water efficiency based on consumption data collected through an electronic system and their relationships with other relevant traits evaluated in Composite Cattle.

• Grant number: 24/20474-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: José Bento Sterman Ferraz
• Grantee: Gabriel Costa Medeiros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The development and use of composite animals, such as the Montana Composite®- a concept that utilizes the combination of different biological types - represents a promising alternative to maximize livestock production by exploiting the retention of heterosis and complementarity between the subspecies Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus. Given the complexity of traits related to feed and water efficiency, and their relevance to the sustainability of global food production, it becomes necessary to evaluate new methodologies and understand the implications of applying genomic predictions to improve the productivity and sustainability of the national herd. This would provide reliable information and create opportunities to enhance the production of composite animals through selection. The aim of this study is to genetically evaluate the performance of feed and water efficiency traits, which are automatically collected by an electronic system measuring feed and water intake, and to integrate genomic information in the prediction of genetic values in Montana Composite® cattle. The dataset to be used comprises 1,338 animals measured between 2018 and 2024, with 5,093,337 phenotypic records of feed intake, 523,235 body weight records during the feed efficiency test, and 506,657 water intake records during the trials. The Montana Program has approximately 650,000 animals in its pedigree and 4,002 genotyped animals. To estimate genetic parameters, the Single-Step GBLUP methodology will be used, under the traditional model where each animal's total measurements are summarized into a single number, under the repeatability model, and under random regression models, in order to take advantage of the large number of phenotypes collected by the electronic system and determine which models are most appropriate for each trait. Additionally, genetic, phenotypic, and environmental correlations between these new traits and 15 other traditionally evaluated traits in composite cattle-related to growth, meat quality, reproduction, morphology, and longevity-will be estimated. This will provide a comprehensive overview of these traits in composite cattle breeding programs and identify the models that best fit the data by the end of the project.