Reproductive Performance
Reproductive Performance - Beef CRC - Beef Genetic Technologies
 Mr Jim WalkleyProgram Manager, Female reprodutive performance (08) 8303 7780 or jim.walkley@sa.gov.au |
| Increasing the quality of Australian beef isn't possible without having the best cattle to produce it. But does increasing the quality of beef have a negative effect on the reproductive traits of the herd? This is the question scientists at the Beef CRC are trying to answer, given that reproduction is a key driver of profitability. Scientists are trying to identify the gene markers which control age of puberty and post-partum anoestrus in tropically adapted cattle. |
| Read more about improving lifetime reproductive performance |
| Scientists are not only studying the female attributes, but are also looking at the influences of the male traits such as sperm morphology. In other words, are there traits in bulls can help predict the resproductive performance of the females. Identifying new traits that are related to fertility of a bulls progeny would allow opportunities to increase rates of genetic improvement for all traits and significantly increase the impact of using genetically superior bulls in commercial herds in northern Australia. Researchers will develop a selection index based on a number of physical traits (e.g. scrotal circumference), blood traits (e.g. LH, inhibin, IGF-1) and semen traits (e.g. sperm morphology) which are predictive, in early life, of both male and female fertility. |
| Reproductive Performance in the South |
| The Beef CRC is also evaluating reproductive performance in Southern Australia with the Maternal Productivity Project. The Beef CRC Maternal Productivity research program is focused on the contribution females make to the productivity of the beef enterprise. The program is aiming to improve breeding herd efficiency (kg calf/MJ energy per cow and calf unit) by an average by 0.5 per cent per annum in at least 50 per cent of specialist beef enterprises in temperate Australia each year from 2012. For more information on the Maternal Productivity Project visit |
| http://www.beefcrc.com.au/maternalproductivity |
| All the information has been gathered into a publication called the Maternal Journal Issue 1 |
| http://www.beefcrc.com.au/MaternalProductivityUpdates |
| Maternal Journal issue 2 |
| http://www.beefcrc.com.au/Assets/679/1/MaternalJournal_Issue2_Mar10_web.pdf |
| For more information on the Southern Maternal Productivity Project contact: |
 Associate Professor Wayne PitchfordProgram Manager, feed efficiency, maternal productivity and responsible resource use (08) 8303 7642 or Wayne.Pitchford@adelaide.edu.au |
