Genetic improvement and relative evaluation of competition performance within the UK sport horse population

2012 ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
T.C. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Horse Population ◽  
Relative Evaluation ◽  
The Uk

Genetic improvement and relative evaluation of competition performance within the UK sport horse population

2006 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
T.C. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Horse Population ◽  
Limited Knowledge ◽  
Relative Evaluation ◽  
Horse Breeding ◽  
Slow Progress ◽  
Breed Improvement ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk

AbstractA summary of the current position of UK sport horse breeding is given in relation to genetic improvement within a commonly applied breeding scheme. Using event horse breeding as the example, rates of gain are shown to be extremely slow, at less than 1 point gain per generations. In order to ascertain the reasons for slow progress, stallion usage and impact on the population is investigated. The study highlights that currently, elite sires are having a very limited effect on the rate of gain. Further investigation of performance recording and analysis systems is therefore undertaken whilst considering the following three issues: 1 Our limited knowledge of environmental effect on performance. 2) the subjective nature of evaluation techniques and 3) the questionable link between performance and pedigree. The study concludes that limited knowledge of environmental effect on performance, poor linkage of pedigree and performance data and poor application of breed improvement strategies have led to extremely slow rates of genetic gain within the UK event horse population.

scholarly journals Artificial selection and maintenance of genetic variance in the global dairy cow population

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1459) ◽  
pp. 1479-1488 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Brotherstone ◽  
M Goddard
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Breeding Value ◽  
Payment Systems ◽  
Frozen Semen ◽  
Best Linear Unbiased ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Selection Algorithms ◽  
Global Population

Genetic improvement of dairy cows, which has increased the milk yield of cows in the UK by 1200 kg per lactation in 12 years, is an excellent example of the application of quantitative genetics to agriculture. The most important traits of dairy cattle are expressed only in females, but the main opportunity for selection is in males. Despite this, genetic improvement was achieved by the invention of a new statistical methodology, called ‘best linear unbiased prediction’ to estimate the breeding value of bulls. Intense selection of the best bulls, combined with the worldwide use of these bulls through artificial insemination and frozen semen, has created a global population and caused concern that the genetic variation available in the future will be reduced. Maintenance of genetic variation and long-term genetic gains would be aided by rational payment systems, use of crossbreeding where profitable, inclusion of all economically important traits in the breeding objective, recognition of genotype by environment interactions and the use of selection algorithms that balance estimated breeding value against the average relationship among the selected animals. Fortunately, all of these things are happening to some degree.

Possibilities tor the genetic improvement of Phaseolus beans in the UK

1974 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
N L Innes ◽  
R C Hardwick
Keyword(s):  
Disease Resistance ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Urgent Problem ◽  
Green Beans ◽  
Navy Bean ◽  
Processing Industry ◽  
Important Crop ◽  
Navy Beans ◽  
Farm Market ◽  
The Uk

Green beans are an important crop for the UK processing industry and for the fresh farm market, and there is a small but rapidly expanding UK area of dry or navy beans. The requirements for genetic improvement include better stability and predictability of farm yields, and better appearance and taste to the consumer. There is scope for improved disease resistance, especially in runner beans. Perhaps the most urgent problem is improved adaptation of the navy bean.

A comparative analysis of population characteristics of the competing progeny (within UK) of UK elite eventing sires and all competing event horses within the UK

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 191-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
T C Whitaker ◽  
J Hill
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Data Transformation ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Horse Population ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Total Lifetime ◽  
Breed Improvement ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Show Jumping

A greater understanding of the population characteristics of sport horse populations is required to enable potential breed improvement programmes to be formulated correctly and be effective in their outcomes. To date limited research has been conducted into the UK sport horse population.A selected group of progeny (n=339) sired by elite eventing stallions was examined. In the context of this study elite sires were defined as those that were ranked 1-10 by total lifetime points won by competing progeny up to the end of 2000 (British Horse Database, 2000). Comparative analysis was undertaken between the selected group and all competing eventing horses in 2000 (n=9387) (British Horse Database, 2000). Data collected for both groups included, total lifetime points won at eventing and dressage and total lifetime money won at show jumping. Basic descriptive statistics were produced for each data set (Table 1). Product moment correlations were performed for all discipline areas (Table 2). Data transformation was applied using LOG+1(Hassenstein, Roehe, and Kalm, 1996).

scholarly journals Pathway Analysis to Determine Factors Contributing to Overall Quality Scores in Four Berry Crops

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Helen Cockerton ◽  
Maddi Blanco Unzueta ◽  
Abigail W. Johnson ◽  
Andrea Vadillo Dieguez ◽  
Felicidad Fernández Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Quality Traits ◽  
Strawberry Fruit ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Fruit Quality Traits ◽  
Berry Crops ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
The Uk

AbstractFruit quality attributes are influenced by environmental, agronomic and genetic factors; both cultivars and growing conditions can vary substantially between UK production and imported fruit. This study aimed to record and dissect the most relevant fruit quality traits for berries imported into the UK in the winter months. Blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry fruit were imported from 11 countries into a Kent-based packhouse (UK) or purchased from major retailers between December 2018 and March 2019. Multiple fruit quality components were assessed for relative contribution towards a high “overall assessment” fruit quality score. It was found that strawberry and blackberry overall scores were affected by sweetness perception, whereas blueberry and raspberry organoleptics are more complex, with overall scores influenced by flavor perception. Multiple raspberry and strawberry fruit quality traits were found to be associated with genotypic differences, indicating a promising potential for genetic improvement through breeding. By contrast, the study findings suggest that there is less potential for genetic improvement in blueberry, and that the environment may have a large effect on blueberry fruit quality traits.

Growth and carcass characteristics of crossbred (Mule) sheep

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 195-195
Author(s):  
A. M. van Heelsum ◽  
R. M. Lewis ◽  
W. Haresign ◽  
D. Jones ◽  
S. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Selection Index ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Breeding Programme ◽  
Carcass Quality ◽  
Quality Traits ◽  
Improvement Programme ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Terminal Sire ◽  
Meat Sector

With increasing emphasis in the meat sector on better and more consistent quality, carcass leanness and conformation is now an important issue for sheep breeders. In 1999, only 47% of all carcasses in the UK met the target specifications for weight, fat and conformation (MLC, 2000), highlighting the potential for improvement. In the current stratified crossbreeding system, crossbred wether lambs are a by-product of the production of dam line ewes for the lowland sector. If their carcass quality is sufficient, they can give a valuable boost to the economics of the breeding programme. Genetic improvement of carcass quality in crossing sire breeds would benefit the crossbred wethers, as well as filter through to the terminal sire cross lambs produced by the crossbred ewes. This work aims to assess the influence of selection index and live conformation score of crossing sires (in this case Bluefaced Leicesters) on growth and carcass quality traits of their crossbred progeny, as a first step towards designing a genetic improvement programme for crossing sire sheep.

The use of sexed semen in dairy herds

Livestock ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 282-286
Author(s):  
Mark Burnell
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Sexed Semen ◽  
Sorting Process ◽  
Sperm Sorting ◽  
The Uk

Artificial insemination of cattle became a commercial reality in 1936, and in 1952 the first calves were born as a result of freeze-thawed semen insemination. The long-held aspiration for pre determination of sex became a reality with the development of sperm sorting technology with the first female calves being born in the UK in 1999. While most breeding companies supply sexed semen sorted by the original flow cytometry method, Genus ABS have developed the method of sperm deactivation. Whatever the method sexing accuracy exceeds 90% and conception rates can be expected to be comparable to conventional semen but only when management is good and importantly there are considerable variations in the fertility of different bulls as a result of the sorting process. The use of sexed semen offers producers an opportunity to maximise the beef production from the dairy herd while accelerating genetic improvement.

Genetic correlations between piglet birth weight, its variation and survival in different dam and sire lines using Bayesian analysis

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 59-59
Author(s):  
D R N G Kapell ◽  
C J Ashworth ◽  
P W Knap ◽  
R Roehe
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Bayesian Analysis ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Stillbirth Rate ◽  
Reproduction Traits ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Piglet Survival ◽  
Considerable Loss

In the UK, mean stillbirth rate is reported to be 6.7% (BPEX, 2008), which indicates a considerable loss for pig producers. Lately much research has been carried out to improve piglet survival by genetic improvement, but correlations between survival and reproduction traits showed contradictory results and seldom distinguished between maternal and direct piglet genetic effects. Some studies considered birth weight as a trait that is likely to be closely related to survival, but few looked at individual piglet birth weight. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic correlations between birth weight or its variation within litter and survival to examine if selection on individual birth weight is a viable way to improve survival.

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