Performance testing in livestock – needs and challenges

Performance testing provides the indispensable precondition for breeders to improve economically important traits in livestock. This is true for breeding schemes based on the quantitative-genetic model as well as for achieving information on the molecular genetic level for utilizing marker assisted selection. The future challenge is to develop cost-efficient and precise procedures for recording traits and setting up as well as connecting appropriate databases. The impact of functional and quality traits will increase in general. In this context there is a need to define standardized traits that reflect the breeding goal. Test stations will be further necessary for those traits that are too costly or even impossible to record in the field. Moreover, test herds will allow for recording of more detailed traits in dairy cattle. Nevertheless it is of some importance to optimize the testing design and to be aware of genotype-environment interactions. It has to be stated that there is a continuous decline in governmental funding and, as a consequence, costs for performance testing will be shifted towards farmers and breeding organizations. In the current situation breeders will accept these expenses only if they get an appropriate trade-off, e.g. support in farm management or comparisons across farms, and if state agencies provide reliable premises to livestock industry for competing on an international level.

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