In 1996, through the introduction of the Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS), Ireland became world leaders in the traceability of cattle.
This system required all farmers to apply identification tags to calfs at birth and register a unique number listed on the tag in the animal identification and movements (AIM) database. The farmer was then issued a passport for each animal (known as the blue card) and was required to notify AIM each time the animal changed hands.
Over the years CMMS has served Ireland very well, accurately tracking over 2m calves each year
This system revolutionised the traceability of cattle across the country, allowing for an accurate assessment of the national herd to be gathered and monitored.
Over the years CMMS has served Ireland very well, accurately tracking over 2m calves each year, and similar systems have since become the standard all around the world.
Moving forward to the present day, we are seeing the advent of a new technology – genomics – which has the potential to drastically improve our original traceability system by providing additional assurances around areas such as ancestry and gender.
Collection of the DNA with the calf taggers. \ Donal O'Leary
The Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) and the Department of Agriculture have been collecting genotype (DNA) samples from cattle since 2009.
Over 350,000 new animals are sampled each year, with the ICBF having collected and logged almost 2m individual genotypes in its central cattle breeding database in that time.
Errors
The genomic data collected by the ICBF is used to verify the parentage and sex recorded by breeders at registration and identify any errors.
Parentage errors (mainly sires) are identified in up to 15% of cases, with a 0.5% error rate in the recorded sex.
The parentage errors are invariably due to simple mix-ups in AI sires versus stock bulls, or perhaps the running of multiple stock bulls on a herd.
The genomic data is also used to predict, where possible, the correct parentage where an error is identified.
Where a sire error is identified, the correct sire can be identified in up to 70% of cases. In time, this will grow to 100%.
Correcting these errors leads to more accurate genetic indexes (€uro-Star, EBI etc), helps avoid accidental inbreeding, corrects mistakes in pedigree certificates and makes the entire system more accurate.
That said, it can also lead to additional work and headaches for the farmer who is responsible for updating blue cards, pedigree certs and genetic indexes.
The older the animal is when genotyped, the greater the potential knock-on of discovering these errors.
The animal may already have progeny, who would then also be affected by the change. To minimise the impact of these corrections, it makes sense to genotype animals as early in their life as possible.
The best solution is for these genomic samples to be taken at birth and incorporated into the registration process. Misrecorded parentage and sex can then be corrected before any blue card or pedigree certificate is issued.
Sire data could also be added to thousands of animals who are currently being registered without a recorded sire.
Pilot programme
To this end, the ICBF and the Department have been conducting DNA registration pilots since 2018. Beginning with 18 herds in year one and increasing to 35 in year two, this spring sees 270 herds registered.
These herds have followed the following simple procedure:
The calf is tagged at birth and provides two separate tissue samples (one for DNA and one for BVD).The two samples are posted away separately to the relevant labs.The farmer records the calving details as normal, but the registration details are temporarily held pending the results of the DNA test. When the DNA results are returned (about one week later) the farmer reviews, corrects any errors found, and completes the registration with the Department’s AIM system.In the pilots to date, over 4,000 calves have been registered in this manner, with up to 20,000 expected to be registered in spring 2020.
Improvements have also been made during these pilots.
Work has been undertaken to integrate DNA registration into farm software packages and the testing of double tissue national tags, removing the need for additional button tags or hair-cards for DNA samples.
Though not without their challenges, these pilots have been highly successful and have proven that DNA-based calf registration is not only possible, but feasible.
DNA benefits
Making these DNA registrations the standard nationally would provide a range of additional benefits to the industry.
Ireland would once again rise to world leaders in the area of traceability from farm to fork; traceability that could be proven beyond doubt.
Tags for sending away for DNA calf registration.
The accuracy of the EBI and €uro-Star indexes would also increase. Having more animals with genotypes makes genomic predictions for traits more accurate.
In addition, it would help to quickly identify superior outlier animals for key traits of importance for the future, such as methane output and health/disease traits.
Processors could introduce incentives or bonuses for the use of better-quality sires, confident that they would be getting what they are paying for
Having 100% accurate parentage records for all animals would allow all animals to be credited with the correct performance data, which would lead to increased rates of genetic gain, resulting in increased economic and environmental benefits for the industry.
Fraud and cattle theft would also become extremely difficult, while cross-compliance questions on issues such as twin calves would already be answered.
Processors could introduce incentives or bonuses for the use of better-quality sires, confident that they would be getting what they are paying for.
Similarly, the days of calf rearers buying a black calf expecting it to be Angus or Limousin from a dairy cow only to subsequently find that it was Jersey-bred would disappear, resulting in increased trust in our currently challenged dairy calf to beef supply chain.
All in all, the potential of DNA-based calf registration for the overall Irish agri-food industry are significant.
One of the key challenges for Ireland is the cost associated with genotyping the national herd to create a DNA-based calf registration database.
This will require all stakeholders to come together to see how that can be achieved and over what period of time.
We need the Government and industry to acknowledge the benefits of DNA-based registration, so that Ireland can continue to be world leaders in the production of safe, high-quality and environmentally sustainable food for an expanding global population.
In 1996, through the introduction of the Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS), Ireland became world leaders in the traceability of cattle.
This system required all farmers to apply identification tags to calfs at birth and register a unique number listed on the tag in the animal identification and movements (AIM) database. The farmer was then issued a passport for each animal (known as the blue card) and was required to notify AIM each time the animal changed hands.
Over the years CMMS has served Ireland very well, accurately tracking over 2m calves each year
This system revolutionised the traceability of cattle across the country, allowing for an accurate assessment of the national herd to be gathered and monitored.
Over the years CMMS has served Ireland very well, accurately tracking over 2m calves each year, and similar systems have since become the standard all around the world.
Moving forward to the present day, we are seeing the advent of a new technology – genomics – which has the potential to drastically improve our original traceability system by providing additional assurances around areas such as ancestry and gender.
Collection of the DNA with the calf taggers. \ Donal O'Leary
The Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) and the Department of Agriculture have been collecting genotype (DNA) samples from cattle since 2009.
Over 350,000 new animals are sampled each year, with the ICBF having collected and logged almost 2m individual genotypes in its central cattle breeding database in that time.
Errors
The genomic data collected by the ICBF is used to verify the parentage and sex recorded by breeders at registration and identify any errors.
Parentage errors (mainly sires) are identified in up to 15% of cases, with a 0.5% error rate in the recorded sex.
The parentage errors are invariably due to simple mix-ups in AI sires versus stock bulls, or perhaps the running of multiple stock bulls on a herd.
The genomic data is also used to predict, where possible, the correct parentage where an error is identified.
Where a sire error is identified, the correct sire can be identified in up to 70% of cases. In time, this will grow to 100%.
Correcting these errors leads to more accurate genetic indexes (€uro-Star, EBI etc), helps avoid accidental inbreeding, corrects mistakes in pedigree certificates and makes the entire system more accurate.
That said, it can also lead to additional work and headaches for the farmer who is responsible for updating blue cards, pedigree certs and genetic indexes.
The older the animal is when genotyped, the greater the potential knock-on of discovering these errors.
The animal may already have progeny, who would then also be affected by the change. To minimise the impact of these corrections, it makes sense to genotype animals as early in their life as possible.
The best solution is for these genomic samples to be taken at birth and incorporated into the registration process. Misrecorded parentage and sex can then be corrected before any blue card or pedigree certificate is issued.
Sire data could also be added to thousands of animals who are currently being registered without a recorded sire.
Pilot programme
To this end, the ICBF and the Department have been conducting DNA registration pilots since 2018. Beginning with 18 herds in year one and increasing to 35 in year two, this spring sees 270 herds registered.
These herds have followed the following simple procedure:
The calf is tagged at birth and provides two separate tissue samples (one for DNA and one for BVD).The two samples are posted away separately to the relevant labs.The farmer records the calving details as normal, but the registration details are temporarily held pending the results of the DNA test. When the DNA results are returned (about one week later) the farmer reviews, corrects any errors found, and completes the registration with the Department’s AIM system.In the pilots to date, over 4,000 calves have been registered in this manner, with up to 20,000 expected to be registered in spring 2020.
Improvements have also been made during these pilots.
Work has been undertaken to integrate DNA registration into farm software packages and the testing of double tissue national tags, removing the need for additional button tags or hair-cards for DNA samples.
Though not without their challenges, these pilots have been highly successful and have proven that DNA-based calf registration is not only possible, but feasible.
DNA benefits
Making these DNA registrations the standard nationally would provide a range of additional benefits to the industry.
Ireland would once again rise to world leaders in the area of traceability from farm to fork; traceability that could be proven beyond doubt.
Tags for sending away for DNA calf registration.
The accuracy of the EBI and €uro-Star indexes would also increase. Having more animals with genotypes makes genomic predictions for traits more accurate.
In addition, it would help to quickly identify superior outlier animals for key traits of importance for the future, such as methane output and health/disease traits.
Processors could introduce incentives or bonuses for the use of better-quality sires, confident that they would be getting what they are paying for
Having 100% accurate parentage records for all animals would allow all animals to be credited with the correct performance data, which would lead to increased rates of genetic gain, resulting in increased economic and environmental benefits for the industry.
Fraud and cattle theft would also become extremely difficult, while cross-compliance questions on issues such as twin calves would already be answered.
Processors could introduce incentives or bonuses for the use of better-quality sires, confident that they would be getting what they are paying for.
Similarly, the days of calf rearers buying a black calf expecting it to be Angus or Limousin from a dairy cow only to subsequently find that it was Jersey-bred would disappear, resulting in increased trust in our currently challenged dairy calf to beef supply chain.
All in all, the potential of DNA-based calf registration for the overall Irish agri-food industry are significant.
One of the key challenges for Ireland is the cost associated with genotyping the national herd to create a DNA-based calf registration database.
This will require all stakeholders to come together to see how that can be achieved and over what period of time.
We need the Government and industry to acknowledge the benefits of DNA-based registration, so that Ireland can continue to be world leaders in the production of safe, high-quality and environmentally sustainable food for an expanding global population.
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