Genomic selection as a tool to decrease greenhouse gas emission from dual purpose New Zealand sheep

Abstract Text:  

In New Zealand, enteric emissions of methane (CH₄) from livestock account for ~33% of greenhouse gas emissions. Breeding animals for lower CH₄ emissions could provide a sustainable mitigation tool. Genomic prediction and genome wide association analyses were performed using estimated breeding values for CH₄ emissions adjusted for feed intake (gCH₄/kgDMI) in 1,872 dual purpose sheep. Analyses were performed using genotypes from the Illumina Ovine 50K BeadChip. SNP effects were estimated using a genomic best linear unbiased prediction model. Results show molecular breeding values with moderate accuracies of 0.37 for gross CH₄ and 0.43 for gCH₄/kgDMI. Two markers located on chromosome 9 (P<9.42E-05) and 25 (P<1.03E-05), were associated with CH₄ and gCH₄/kgDMI respectively. These markers are within or close to plausible physiological candidates, but did not meet the genome-wide significance threshold. With high-density genotypes there is further potential to identify loci associated with CH₄ emissions.

Keywords:

Methane

Emissions

Genomic