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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165318

Title: MEETING CONSUMER DEMANDS THROUGH GENETIC SELECTION: THE NCBA CARCASS MERIT PROJECT

Author
item MOSER, D - KANSAS STATE UNIV.
item Thallman, Richard - Mark
item POLLAK, E - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item DIKEMAN, MICHAEL - KANSAS STATE UNIV.
item GILL, C - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item KOONTZ, S - COLORADO STATE UNIV.
item HOLM, T - NAT. CATTLEMEN'S ASSOC
item DRESSLER, E - NAT. CATTLEMEN'S ASSOC

Submitted to: Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Moser, D.W., Thallman, R.M., Pollak, E.J., Dikeman, M.E., Gill, C.A., Koontz, S.R., Holm, T.R., Dressler, E.W. 2004. Meeting consumer demands through genetic selection: the NCBA carcass merit project [proceedings]. Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, May 25-28, pp. 42-44.

Interpretive Summary: Improvement of tenderness is a high priority for the beef industry. The Carcass Merit Project (CMP) was funded by the $1/head beef checkoff to identify genetic differences in tenderness and other carcass traits among influential sires in beef breeds and to validate quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the same traits that were identified in previous checkoff-funded research. Additional objectives were development of procedures for large-scale collection of tenderness data and economic analysis of the feasibility of selection for tenderness. Fourteen beef breeds participated in the project. Greater than 8,200 progeny of over 300 sires representing 14 breeds were harvested for collection of carcass and meat quality data. There were 2,422 progeny with sensory panel data. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated. The phenotypic correlation between shear force and sensory score tenderness is high, indicating shear force is a useful predictor of consumer satisfaction. Four breeds have calculated and publicly released expected progeny differences for shear force on over 200 sires. The QTL analysis involved 70 sires with 2,615 progeny with DNA marker data at 11 QTL and phenotypes in 210 contemporary groups. There were 1,458 progeny with sensory data and DNA marker data. While preliminary analyses appear promising, the marker data collected in CMP are undergoing final analysis. The results will be published when the analysis is complete. The economic portion of the project also revealed that improvement of tenderness has the potential to significantly increase market price, quantity and revenue of fresh beef sales. Likely the most significant result of the Carcass Merit Project is the sizeable database of phenotypic information and DNA samples stored for a wide cross section of beef germplasm. Already, data and samples stored by breed associations are being used to validate gene tests marketed to cattle producers.

Technical Abstract: Improvement of tenderness is a high priority for the beef industry. The Carcass Merit Project (CMP) was funded by the $1/head beef checkoff to identify genetic differences in tenderness and other carcass traits among influential sires in beef breeds and to validate quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the same traits that were identified in previous checkoff-funded research. Additional objectives were development of procedures for large-scale collection of tenderness data and economic analysis of the feasibility of selection for tenderness. Fourteen beef breeds participated in the project. Greater than 8,200 progeny of over 300 sires representing 14 breeds were harvested for collection of carcass and meat quality data. There were 2,422 progeny with sensory panel data. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated. The phenotypic correlation between shear force and sensory score tenderness is high, indicating shear force is a useful predictor of consumer satisfaction. Four breeds have calculated and publicly released expected progeny differences for shear force on over 200 sires. The QTL analysis involved 70 sires with 2,615 progeny with DNA marker data at 11 QTL and phenotypes in 210 contemporary groups. There were 1,458 progeny with sensory data and DNA marker data. While preliminary analyses appear promising, the marker data collected in CMP are undergoing final analysis. The results will be published when the analysis is complete. The economic portion of the project also revealed that improvement of tenderness has the potential to significantly increase market price, quantity and revenue of fresh beef sales. Likely the most significant result of the Carcass Merit Project is the sizeable database of phenotypic information and DNA samples stored for a wide cross section of beef germplasm. Already, data and samples stored by breed associations are being used to validate gene tests marketed to cattle producers.