Rangeland Ecology & Management

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STUDYING GRAZING DISTRIBUTION OF BEEF CATTLE USING DNA TECHNOLOGY
Author
Pierce, Courtney F.
Barbero, Marina M.
Bailey, Derek W.
Medrano, Juan F.
C�novas, Angela
Speidel, Scott E.
Coleman, Stephen J.
Enns, Richard M.
Thomas, Milton G.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2018
Body

In beef cattle production systems, grazing distribution is an important aspect of rangeland management. Rangelands provide approximately 50 � 65% of the forage needed for domestic ruminants in the United States. As much as one third of the rangelands in the western United States are left�ungrazed due to rugged terrain and long distances from water. By improving grazing uniformity, 30% more forage may be harvested from these�rangelands. Although water developments, herding and other practices can be effective in improving grazing patterns, these approaches are laborious and often not cost effective. Previous research suggests that terrain-use indices used to quantify grazing distribution are genetically influenced at a level similar to weaning weight (20-35%); therefore, marker-assisted selection could improve grazing distribution. In an association study using GPS tracking data and Illumina HD genotypes, five candidate genes (ACN9, FAM48A, GRM5, MAML3, and RUSC2) have been associated with grazing distribution traits (slope, elevation, and distance to water) in cattle. The objective of this study was to further examine these genes and identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that may be incorporated into a genotyping panel used for identifying genotype associations with terrain-use phenotypes measured by GPS tracking collars. A total of 124 tissue samples were collected from Brangus and Angus cattle from range research herds. Ribonucleic acid sequences were aligned to the annotated bovine reference genome. The�analysis revealed 376 SNP located within the five candidate genes of which ten�had three alleles segregating across breeds. These SNP will be incorporated into a DNA-based genotyping panel to examine associations with the terrain use phenotypic traits to derive information that is needed to develop genomic breeding values. This tool will allow producers to rank sires based on their likelihood to sire daughters that will use steep and rugged terrain and areas far from water.�Keywords: Cattle, grazing distribution, SNP, genetics

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Reno, NV