BREEDING values with greater reliability and identifying superior bulls at a much younger age are just two of the benefits genomics can bring to the dairy industry, according to Dairy Australia animal systems program manager David Nation.
He said the raw DNA sequence of the cow had been known for a short time, and research was now focusing on finding areas along the sequence, which could explain all economically-important traits such as milk production and even temperament.
This would also boost the genetic progress of hard-to-measure traits such as milk quality and feed conversion efficiency.
He said that in North America, proofs gained from looking at the specific DNA sequence of a few yearling bulls had been published in semen catalogues, rather than waiting four or five years to get enough progeny on the ground and data on the performance of the bull's daughters.
Speaking at a recent Dairy Innovation Day at Mount Gambier, Mr Nation said the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme was expected to include genomic results in Australian breeding values next year, and a testing service for dairyfarmers soon after.
Dairy Australia was working hard to identify markers for all 30-plus production traits, along with a new trial on feed-conversion efficiency in conjunction with Victorian Department of Primary Industries.
Mr Nation said the dairy industry was the envy of beef and sheep industries, with close to 40 years of herd testing in the scheme's database giving researchers large amounts of information to cross-reference markers being developed.
One of the areas of concern was whether inbreeding would become prevalent with the use of just a few elite sires, but genomics would actually identify a wider set of bulls from both the stud and commercial sector with something to offer.
"There are so many genes each having a little effect rather than a few genes having a major effect, and for things like the classic production traits we are not going to find this blockbuster sire that has this amazing combination of genes everyone will want," Mr Nation.
The benefits of genomics were not limited to the animal with the potential to also manipulate the feed base, such as producing ryegrass with higher percentages of water-soluble carbohydrates and low lignin maize.
"If genomics takes off and we think about it affecting every part of biology and the way we farm there will be huge opportunities to change the bugs in the soil there will be opportunities to change the bugs in the cow and even those in cheese-making," he said.
Mr Nation likened the technology to computers in the late 1990s with their effectiveness doubling every year and said genomics would become more and more powerful and a greater part of farming businesses.
But while it would fast-track genetic gain, he cautioned farmers on the need to set the right breeding objectives.
"If you are interested in that trait you can go bang-on for that trait and at a much faster rate, but I am only giving you an accelerator, not a steering wheel," he said.
"If you use this technology you will go twice as fast in the right direction or the wrong direction."
Dairy Australia had been a large investor through grower levy funds in genomics and this money had attracted significant federal and state government funding - with these bodies knowing the investment is "risky" but seeing the long-term value for the industry.
Dairy Australia was part of a submission looking at funding a plant and animal genomic centre with $135 million to be invested over seven years - $14m from Dairy Australia and $120m from government and other private investors.
"It is coming and this will create a huge economic wave of opportunity for the industry," Mr Nation said.
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