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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427643
Research Project: Discovery of Novel Traits to Improve Efficiency and Sustainability of Different Sheep Production Systems

Location: Livestock Bio-Systems

Title: Our journey with Sheep GEMS is nearing its end

Author
item LEWIS, RONALD - University Of Nebraska
item BRITO, LUIZ - Purdue University
item Freking, Bradley
item Murphy Jr, Thomas
item Burke, Joan
item Wilson, Carrie
item BOYER, TOM - Producer

Submitted to: Sheep Industry News
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/3/2025
Publication Date: 7/31/2025
Citation: Lewis, R.M., Brito, L., Freking, B.A., Murphy, T.W., Burke, J.M., Wilson, C.S., Boyer, T. 2025. Our journey with Sheep GEMS is nearing its end. Sheep Industry News. 29(8):28-35.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Starting in January 2022 as a collaboration of the U.S. sheep industry with two land-grant Universities and three USDA Agricultural Research Centers (ARS), Sheep GEMS was born. Its aim was two-fold. First, to incorporate innovations in molecular technologies into routine genetic evaluation of U.S. sheep. Second, to broaden the scope of those evaluations to improve the robustness and resilience to weather conditions of our flocks. With funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the sheep industry, both aims are in reach. This article summarized the final conclusions of the project shared to sheep stakeholders in the form of a popular press article in the Sheep Industry News trade journal.