Genome wide selection in dairy cattle based on high-density genome-wide SNP analysis: from discovery to application

Abstract

A genome wide selection (GWS) platform was developed for prediction of genetic merit in dairy cattle. The critical components of the GWS platform included a genome wide SNP analysis assay representing 15,036 SNPs, 1546 progeny tested Holstein Friesian sires with EBV (ABV) for 42 lactation performance traits, and a series of complexity reduction methods with internal and external cross validation. Derived Molecular Breeding Values (MBV) using a fraction of the available SNP information, were shown to have high predictive value for genetic merit (r=0.65-0.87 with ABV) in bulls not used in the training data from which the SNP effects were derived. GWS can be used in the absence of SNP location and pedigree to make potentially highly accurate predictions of genetic merit at an early age from DNA analyses.