The genetic improvement of livestock species has led to an outstanding genetic progress in domestic populations during decades. These advances has very much relied on the incorporation of innovations from different research areas (optimization of the methods for prediction of the genetic value, best management of genetic variability and optimal design of breeding schemes). The intense selection intensity, often oriented to improve productivity, has led in an impaired functionality in some populations. Besides, the climate change as well as the environmental degradation generated by advanced societies have introduced new elements of uncertainty in the production systems that impose pursuing new breeding objectives. The advances in the development of affordable platforms for genomic analysis during the last decades as well as precision farming have facilitated the inclusion of these innovations in current selection schemes.
Our research group is mainly focused in the use of the new –omic techniques and novel phenotypes to determine the genomic variants and regions associated with traits that directly affect animal welfare and productivity, resilience and sustainability of livestock production systems as food security is warranted.
Our research outcome will allow a more accurate selection of breeding animals and boost the genetic progress in the desired direction for both economic and environmental sustainability of ruminant farming.