New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Invited paper
Application of new technologies in sheep breeding
H. T. Blair1
D. J. Garrick1,2
1Institute of Veterinary
Animal and Biomedical Sciences
National Research Centre for Growth and Development
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
2Department of Animal Sciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1171
USA
Abstract Genetically improved sheep make an
important contribution to farmer profitability. New Zealand sheep
breeders have a good track record in applying cost effective
technologies to assist with the genetic improvement of their stock,
with current annual rates of genetic gain in the New Zealand sheep
industry likely to be between 0.1 and 0.2 genetic standard deviations.
Several new technologies are discussed and their potential impact on
improving genetic gain in the New Zealand sheep industry evaluated.
While it might be possible to improve the rate of genetic gain to 0.5
genetic standard deviations by applying all available technologies, it
is more likely that improved rates will only reach about 0.3 genetic
standard deviations when cost effectiveness is taken into account.
Keywords genetic improvement; technology; sheep
A07003; Online publication date 5 April 2007; Received 6 October
2006; accepted 1 March 2007
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50:
89–102
0028–8233/07/5002–0085 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
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