Integration of beef cattle international pedigree and genomic estimated breeding values into national evaluations, with an application to the Italian Limousin population.

Background: International evaluations combine data from different countries allowing breeders to have access to larger panels of elite bulls and to increase the accuracy of estimated breeding values (EBV). However, international and national evaluations can use different sources of information to compute EBV (EBV and EBV, respectively), leading to differences between them. Choosing one of these EBV results in losing the information that is contained only in the discarded EBV.

International single-step SNPBLUP beef cattle evaluations for Limousin weaning weight.

Background: Compared to national evaluations, international collaboration projects further improve accuracies of estimated breeding values (EBV) by building larger reference populations or performing a joint evaluation using data (or proxy of them) from different countries. Genomic selection is increasingly adopted in beef cattle, but, to date, the benefits of including genomic information in international evaluations have not been explored. Our objective was to develop an international beef cattle single-step genomic evaluation and investigate its impact on the accuracy and bias of genomic evaluations compared to current pedigree-based evaluations.

Phenotypic and genetic variation of ultraviolet-visible-infrared spectral wavelengths of bovine meat.

Spectroscopic predictions can be used for the genetic improvement of meat quality traits in cattle. No information is however available on the genetics of meat absorbance spectra. This research investigated the phenotypic variation and the heritability of meat absorbance spectra at individual wavelengths in the ultraviolet-visible and near-infrared region (UV-Vis-NIR) obtained with portable spectrometers.

Prediction of meat quality traits in the abattoir using portable near-infrared spectrometers: heritability of predicted traits and genetic correlations with laboratory-measured traits.

Background: The possibility of assessing meat quality traits over the meat chain is strongly limited, especially in the context of selective breeding which requires a large number of phenotypes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of portable infrared spectrometers for phenotyping beef cattle aiming to genetically improving the quality of their meat. Meat quality traits (pH, color, water holding capacity, tenderness) were appraised on rib eye muscle samples of 1,327 Piemontese young bulls using traditional (i.

Prediction of meat quality traits in the abattoir using portable and hand-held near-infrared spectrometers.

The use of near-infrared spectrometers (NIRS) for predicting meat quality traits directly in the abattoir was tested with three trials. For the calibration trial, spectra were acquired from the cross-cut surface of the Longissimus thoracis muscle on 1166 carcasses of Piemontese young bulls with a portable visible-near-infrared spectrometer (Vis-NIRS) and with a small hand-held instrument (Micro-NIRS). A sample of the same muscle was analyzed to provide the reference.

Heritability and genetic correlations of carcass and meat quality traits in Piemontese young bulls.

Age at slaughter (AS), carcass weight (CW), carcass daily gain (CDG), conformation (EUS), and rib-eye area (REA) were recorded on 1166 Piemontese young bulls. pH, lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*), hue angle (h*), chroma (C*), purge loss (PL), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (WBSF) were assessed on the Longissimus thoracis muscle of the same animals. Heritability of carcass traits ranged from 0.

Characterisation of beef production systems and their effects on carcass and meat quality traits of Piemontese young bulls.

Using the Piemontese breed as a case study, we characterised beef production systems within the EU classification, and investigated their effects on carcass and meat quality traits. The research involved 1,327 young bulls fattened on 115 farms. The production systems identified by hierarchical cluster analysis were: traditional (restricted feeding and either tie-stalls or loose-housing), modern breeders and fatteners and specialised fatteners (the last two were divided in those using or not using total mixed rations).