Breeding objectives of livestock and other agricultural species are usually profit maximising. The selection emphasis placed on specific traits to achieve a breeding objective is often informed by the financial value of a trait to a farm system. However, there are alternative, and complementary approaches to defining both the breeding objective and the selection emphasis placed on traits that are included in associated selection tools. These are based on the preferences of stakeholders, which are often heterogeneous and include broader values and motivations than profit. In this regard, stated preference methods are useful when considering traits that have either no discernible market value or whose value is not fully transferred via the market. Such approaches can guide more appropriate breeding decisions that are amenable to changing societal values, for example with reduced negative environmental externalities. However, while stated preference methods offer promising conceptualisations of value in genetic improvement programmes, there is still a substantial knowledge gap in terms of the current state of research and a catalogue of publications to date. This paper reviews publications of stated preference approaches in the field of livestock breeding (and some relevant crop breeding examples), providing a knowledge base of published applications and promoting their continued development and implementation towards the formulation of appropriate breeding objectives and selection indices. A systematic review of 84 peer-reviewed publications and an aggregate ranking of traits for the most commonly studied subject (cattle) reveals uncertainty in preference estimates which may be driven by (i) a diverse set of non-standardised methodologies, (ii) common oversights in the selection, inclusion and description of traits, and (iii) inaccurate representations of the respondent population. We discuss key considerations to help overcome these limitations, including avoiding methodological confinement to a disciplinary silo and reducing complexity so that the values of broader respondent groups may be accounted for.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2022.100535 | DOI Listing |
J Integr Plant Biol
January 2025
State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
As sessile organisms, plants must directly face various stressors. Therefore, plants have evolved a powerful stress resistance system and can adjust their growth and development strategies appropriately in different stressful environments to adapt to complex and ever-changing conditions. Nevertheless, prioritizing defensive responses can hinder growth; this is a crucial factor for plant survival but is detrimental to crop production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFish Shellfish Immunol
January 2025
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528225, China. Electronic address:
This study investigated the potential protective effect of AS-IV against heat stress-induced tissue damage in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Grass carp were injected intraperitoneally with 0, 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg of AS-IV for three consecutive days, and then subjected to heat stress (35 ± 0.5°C); thereafter, histopathological analyses of the liver and spleen were performed at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoult Sci
January 2025
Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271017, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Shandong, Taian, 271017, China. Electronic address:
Duck circovirus (DuCV) infected multiple breeds of ducks and was widespread in duck factories worldwide. Infected ducks exhibited feathering disorder, growth retardation and immunosuppression, which lead to secondary infection with other pathogens easily. But till now, there has been little research on the study of DuCV due to the absence of appropriate cultural measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHortic Res
January 2025
Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China, 100193.
Appropriate root system architecture (RSA) can improve alfalfa yield, yet its genetic basis remains largely unexplored. This study evaluated six RSA traits in 171 alfalfa genotypes grown under controlled greenhouse conditions. We also analyzed five yield-related traits in normal and drought stress environments and found a significant correlation (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Genomics
January 2025
College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1, Shizishan street, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
Background: Megalobrama amblycephala presents unsynchronized growth, which affects its productivity and profitability. The liver is essential for substance exchange and energy metabolism, significantly influencing the growth of fish.
Results: To investigate the differential metabolites and genes governing growth, and understand the mechanism underlying their unsynchronized growth, we conducted comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of liver from fast-growing (FG) and slow-growing (SG) M.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!
© LitMetric 2025. All rights reserved.