BIF-Proceedings-Final-flip

42 2018 BIF Research Symposium and Convention • Proceeding Papers Introduction The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) is an organization established fifty year ago by forward thinking industry leaders to provide a platform for discussion of topics related to genetic improvement. Those topics include appropriate methods of data collection, methods of analyzing those data in genetic evaluations, selection and mating strategies and the development and implementation of new technologies. An integral part of the success of sustaining beef production has been the commitment and efforts of beef producers to improve the genetic capability of cattle following many guidelines established by BIF. It is appropriate to reflect on the accomplishments of the past 50 years, but we can also use this opportunity to question how to do even better going forward in meeting challenges of the future. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of BIF, this symposium focuses on “Positioning for the Future of Beef Production.” Contributions by Mark McCully and Michael Genho address quality of beef products and efficiency in producing beef, respectively. These are examples of traits important to the industry. I emphasize these being examples as the portfolio of economically relevant traits (ERTs) in beef production is much more diverse and complex. Sara Place discusses sustainability and the need to address three components defining sustainability; economic viability, environmental footprint and social concerns. Dorian Garrick examines traits currently not considered in the scheme of beef selection. Over the past 50 years the beef industry has witnessed tremendous growth in the amount and type of data collected. Over that same period the industry experienced numerous advances in technology for managing cattle, capturing data and in computing genetic evaluations. Most recently, DNA technology adoption has reach a level at which that technology is making a significant contribution to genetic evaluations for traits in the EPD portfolio. It is against this backdrop that we look to future opportunities for selection. Selection is a process used to make genetic improvement towards a desired goal. The process includes creating a well-defined breeding objective and gathering data on traits included in that breeding objective either directly on the trait and/or through genetic indicators for those traits. These data are used in the assessment of genetic merit of individuals. Selection among candidates to be parents is done by ranking animals on specific traits or indices and keeping the requisite number of animals needed to meet the size requirement of the population. In thinking of selection in this light, there really are no alternatives to the process. Rather our focus should be on alternatives to the components within the process to better reflect the industry needs (the goal and breeding objective) or enhance the response to selection (e.g., more or better data, better assessment strategies). The objective of this paper is to further examine some concepts, challenges and opportunities presented in the symposium presentations and discuss them in terms of impact on strategies for the future selection of beef cattle. The Goal of the Breeding Program Garrick states: “There is a logical approach to developing a breeding program that includes thorough biological and economic considerations of the traits to consider. The first step is the formulation of the goal of the breeding program. That would normally reflect some measure of increasing satisfaction….” What should the goal of the breeding program for the beef industry be moving forward into the next half century? I am not aware of a well-articulated and universally accepted statement of the goal for beef production that provided the motivation for our historical selection program. However, even if one did exist it certainly needs to be refreshed given current economic trends in the industry, environmental concerns on production footprint and consumer demands. Perhaps the first step moving forward into the future is to establish a modernized statement of the goal for beef production and BIF is the perfect venue to have this discussion. The Breeding Objective The breeding objective provides a basis for the overall value of an individual’s potential contribution to the goal. The seedstock segment of the beef industry is the engine that drives genetic progress throughout the industry. The ambassadors of the seedstock genetic enterprise are the yearling bulls produced by the selection program. Ideally the selection program would address the needs of the commercial, feedlot, processing and marketing segments of the industry as well as expectations of consumers. If Positioning for the Future of Beef Production: Bringing It All Together John Pollak, Emeritus Professor, Cornell University