Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90661
Title: SELECTING BEEF CATTLE TO GENETICALLY INCREASE PROFIT

Author
item Macneil, Michael
item NEWMAN, SCOTT - TROPICAL BEEF CENTRA, AU

Submitted to: Governors Conference on the State of the Livestock Industry
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Four decision support systems designed to aid producers or their advisors in choosing a crossbreeding strategy and breed selection are reviewed. SIMUMATE and HOTCROSS are examples of algorithmic approaches to the task, while CROSS-CHOICE and X-BREED use heuristics. All systems rely on characterizations of breed resources and have been at least partially validated by experienced users. Success of efforts to develop decision support systems will be ultimately judged by their impact. SIMUMATE was clearly a visionary system developed before its time. Development of the latter three systems is too recent to observe changes in producer behavior that can be attributed to them. Ultimate success of any system depends on a champion to carry the project through and to maintain it. Lacking a champion, each system seems relegated to history.

Technical Abstract: Four decision support systems designed to aid producers or their advisors in choosing a crossbreeding strategy and breed selection are reviewed. SIMUMATE and HOTCROSS are examples of algorithmic approaches to the task, while CROSS-CHOICE and X-BREED use heuristics. All systems rely on characterizations of breed resources and have been at least partially validated by experienced users. Success of efforts to develop decision support systems will be ultimately judged by their impact. SIMUMATE was clearly a visionary system developed before its time. Development of the latter three systems is too recent to observe changes in producer behavior that can be attributed to them. Ultimate success of any system depends on a champion to carry the project through and to maintain it. Lacking a champion, each system seems relegated to history.