P.PSH.1483 - Develop genomic prediction tools for commercial Merino sheep
The Flock Profile benchmarks against industry and helps producers make more informed ram selection decisions for genetic progress.
| Project start date: | 31 October 2023 |
| Project end date: | 15 January 2025 |
| Publication date: | 15 October 2025 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Sheep |
| Relevant regions: | National |
|
Download Report
|
|
Summary
This project aims to develop a pipeline for genomic breeding value prediction of individual ommercial Merino sheep and develop validation and value propositions where both accuracy and benefit of such predictions will be evaluated to underpin potential adoption of the technology in the sheep industry.
Objectives
1. Genotype 10,000 commercial Merino sheep that have recorded performance data.
2. Validate genomic predictions on individual sheep.
Key findings
The project successfully collected DNA samples on more than 10,000 commercial sheep from 19 flocks and returned genomically estimated breeding values back to 11 producers.
Benefits to industry
This technology will contribute to achieving a larger proportion of the Australian flock having higher genetic merit, especially for traits that are not easy to observe or measurable on-farm, e.g. lamb eating quality and sustainability traits.
MLA action
Further application of genomic testing and ranking of individual sheep will be explored in a future Producer Demonstration project that will demonstrate and identify clear pathways for sheep producers to utilise a single or combination of genomic tools in their ewe and ram selections to continue to improve on farm productivity via genetic gains.
Future research
It is recommended to invest in methods that can give an indication of industry linkage and accuracy of specific genomic predictions. Further application of genomic testing and ranking of individual sheep maybe be explored in future projects.
More information
| Project manager: | Sarah Butler |
| Contact email: | reports@mla.com.au |
| Primary researcher: | The University of New England |
