ROBUSTMILK

Innovative and Practical Breeding Tools for Improved Dairy Products from More Robust Dairy Cattle

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The objective of ROBUSTMILK is to develop new practical technologies to allow breeders to re-focus their selection to include milk quality and dairy cow robustness and to evaluate the consequences of selection for these traits taking cognisance of various milk production systems. Six research organisations, all with a strong network in the animal breeding industry, have agreed to share knowledge and resources to develop a strong research program to achieve this objective. Each partner has its own specialised expertise (phenotypic recording, statistics, genomics) and unique data available, in the form of milk quality and dairy cattle robustness. The overall objective is achieved by five integrated workpackages, each having their own objective: 1) Creation of a common data-base that includes unique and scarcely recorded phenotypic measurements for traits underlying robustness and milk quality, together with productivity records and fertility; 2) to develop phenotypic measurement tools for robustness (energy balance) and milk quality (lactoferrin and fatty acid composition) using mid-infrared spectrometry; 3) to develop statistical tools to select for robustness and milk quality (udder health and SCC) taking into account complex biological backgrounds; 4) to develop genomic tools for selection for productivity, robustness (fertility, energy balance and udder health) and milk quality traits (lactoferrin and fatty acid composition); and 5) integrating and disseminating knowledge on the consequences of selection practises on robustness and milk quality. ROBUSTMILK has the potential to enhance the competitiveness of European agriculture through the production of higher quality dairy products and more sustainable dairy production systems. ROBUSTMILK will contribute significantly towards the Knowledge Based Bio Economy objective of the EU, through a greater understanding of factors contributing to genetic variation and exploiting this variation in a sustainable manner in genetic improvement programmes.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Cows in good health produce quality milk. A new technology has been developed allowing dairy farmers to include traits such as milk quality and dairy cow vigour when making breeding selection decisions.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Leading dairy cattle breeding programmes have recently expanded their breeding goals to include traits such as health and milk quality in addition to milk production.

This project, 'Innovative and practical breeding tools for improved dairy products from more robust dairy cattle' (ROBUSTMILK), developed new technologies for dairy cow breeders that allow them to include milk quality and dairy cow 'robustness' when making selection decisions. The project outcomes also allow breeders to evaluate the consequences of selection for these traits.

Project efforts resulted in an international database containing phenotypic measurements such as feed intake, body condition scoring and detailed health recordings, as well as genotypes. The genome-wide association study analysed the genetics of energy balance, feed intake, fertility and milk quality. The results have set a high mark for several genetics and genomics projects.

The researchers developed new methods of predicting milk quality at low or no extra cost through infrared spectroscopy of milk machines used in milk laboratories. The project also developed the first predictions for energy balance, which may become an important route for including energy balance in breeding objectives.

Models were developed that can estimate if the offspring of some sires are more sensitive than the offspring from other sires. These tools could result in genetic gain for dairy cow udder health.

Using the readily available national data and infrared spectroscopy of milk, more robust cows can now be selected to produce milk that is healthier for humans.