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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(8)

Genetics research in the Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality

H. M. Burrow A B and B. M. Bindon A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality, CSIRO Livestock Industries, CJ Hawkins Homestead, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: Heather.Burrow@une.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(8) 941-957 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05069
Submitted: 8 March 2005  Accepted: 20 April 2005   Published: 26 August 2005

Abstract

In its first 7-year term, the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for the Cattle and Beef Industry (Meat Quality) identified the genetic and non-genetic factors that impacted on beef eating quality. Following this, the CRC for Cattle and Beef Quality was established in 1999 to identify the consequences of improving beef eating quality and feed efficiency by genetic and non-genetic means on traits other than carcass and beef quality. The new CRC also had the responsibility to incorporate results from the first Beef CRC in national schemes such as BREEDPLAN (Australia’s beef genetic evaluation scheme) and Meat Standards Australia (Australia’s unique meat grading scheme that guarantees the eating quality of beef). This paper describes the integrated research programs and their results involving molecular and quantitative genetics, meat science, growth and nutrition and industry economics in the Beef CRC’s second phase (1999–2006) and the rationale for the individual genetics programs established. It summarises the planned scientific and beef industry outcomes from each of these programs and also describes the development and/or refinement by CRC scientists of novel technologies targeting increased genetic gains through enhanced measurement and recording in beef industry herds, thereby ensuring industry use of CRC results.

Additional keywords: adaptation, bioinformatics, carcass and beef quality, cow fertility, experimental design, feed efficiency, gene discovery, gene expression, quantitative genetics, quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection.


Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge all professional and support staff of the current and previous Beef CRCs, numerous beef industry organisations and corporate and individual beef producers throughout Australia and also Meat and Livestock Australia and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research for their very significant contributions to the conduct and resourcing of the Beef CRC’s programs over the past 12 years.


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