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The following story is from the October 29, 2009,
issue of NALF Partners electronic newsletter from the North American Limousin Foundation.
As you begin thinking about collecting ultrasound data this fall and winter, also
consider testing your cattle for the Igenity® DNA profile. It includes information
about carcass traits, such as marbling, quality grade, yield grade, fat thickness
and ribeye area. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and several
different universities discovered the markers in Igenity's carcass tests, and the
National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium (NBCEC) independently validated them.
Because DNA-marker tests explain only part of the genetic variability for a given
trait, they never should be used as a replacement for phenotypic data collection;
however, they can be used to supplement phenotypic data in EPD computations.
For example, the American Angus Association and Igenity recently announced the introduction
of genome-enhanced EPDs for carcass traits. Combining an Angus-specific DNA profile
with traditional carcass and ultrasound data will result in EPDs with higher accuracies.
That will be especially helpful in evaluations of young bulls because they now will
have accuracies that previously were possible only after they had several progeny
with carcass and ultrasound data.
To keep Limousin and Lim Flex breeders on the cutting edge of genetic technology,
NALF strongly recommends collecting both ultrasound and Igenity profile data. For
more information about ultrasound or the Igenity profile, visit the "Genetic Evaluation"
section of the NALF Web site, or contact Lauren Hyde in the NALF office.
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