NZ Animal Evaluation (NZAEL), a subsidiary of DairyNZ, LIC and CRV Ambreed have made the agreement.
“The standardised presentation will give farmers greater clarity and enable them to make more informed and confident bull selection decisions,” NZAEL chairman Warren Larsen said.
Estimates of breeding worth (BW) which include a genomic component will be assigned a leading g (eg, gBW or gBV).
NZAEL general manager Jeremy Bryant said to ensure a more consistent presentation of genetic data, a working group with representatives from LIC, CRV Ambreed and Liberty Genetics was formed in September 2012.
“As part of that initiative both CRV Ambreed and LIC agreed to assign the leading g term to acknowledge that genomic estimates differ from the parentage and daughter based BW produced by NZAEL and that genomic estimates are derived by the breeding companies themselves,” Bryant said.
The LIC and CRV Ambreed genomic estimates are themselves calculated differently and not equivalent. It was also agreed that the NZAEL logo will be used only on material where NZAEL estimates are quoted.
“So, for this autumn’s breeding catalogues, gBW indicates a genomic-based breeding estimate derived by the breeding companies and a BW with the NZAEL logo indicates a BW estimate derived by NZAEL.”
LIC acting chief executive David Hemara and CRV Ambreed chief executive Angus Haslett said they support the change.
NZAEL will monitor genomic-based estimates produced by both companies for farmers. LIC and CRV Ambreed will both continue to develop their genomic technologies and apply the latest genomic bias adjustment procedures via robust and peer reviewed validation procedures.
