Incorporation of Genetic Technologies Associated with Applied Reproductive Technologies to Enhance World Food Production

Animal breeding and reproductive physiology have been closely related throughout the history of animal production science. Artificial insemination provides the best method of increasing the influence of sires with superior genetics to improve production traits. Multiple ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) provides some ability to increase the genetic influence of the maternal line as well. The addition of genetic technologies to this paradigm allows for improved methods of selecting sires and dams carrying the best genes for production and yield of edible products and resistance to diseases and parasites. However, decreasing the number of influential parents within a population also increases the risk of propagating a recessive gene that could negatively impact the species (Reprod Domest Anim 44: 792-796, 2009; BMC Genomics 11: 337, 2010). Furthermore, antagonistic genotypic relationships between production traits and fertility (Anim Prod Sci 49: 399-412, 2009; Anim Genet 43: 442-446, 2012) suggest that care must be taken to ensure that increasing the frequency of genes with a positive influence on production does not negatively impact the fertility of the replacement females entering the herd.