IMPROVED dairy herd genetics options for Australian farmers will stem from a joint venture between two United States genetics and breeding companies, it has been claimed.
The Australian arm of Wisconsin-based bovine genetics specialist ABS Global late last year confirmed the joint venture with leading Iowa-based independent bull breeder De-Su Holsteins.
The joint venture, to be called De Novo Genetics, was mooted in September and is said to build on an informal collaboration between the two over many years.
ABS national sales manager Paul Quinlan said one of the benefits for Australian dairy farmers will be access via ABS to some top genomic Holstein sires, such as Balisto which topped the Australian Breeding Values list last week with a Balanced Performance Index (BPI) rating of 329.
De Novo would further ABS's reputation as a provider of top genomic sires to Australia, with ABS having delivered four of the top 10 available Holstein genomic bulls and 20 of the top 50 in the December BPI, Mr Quinlan said.
"De Novo will develop elite and differentiated Holstein genetics for ABS Global customers around the world," he said.
"It is a new opportunity for ABS to continue its pioneering work in animal genetics by combining the best genetics from both De-Su and ABS Global.
"Our herds complement each other well.
"In the ABS female program, we have focused on efficiency traits centred on health, production and fitness while De-Su has been nurturing higher productivity and conformation traits."
Mr Quinlan said the combined focus would be on improving dairy farm profitability through improved herd productivity, health and efficiency.
"The economic impact of sire genetics on cow health through the transition period is significant," he said.
"(For example) by using Balisto, a dairy operation is projected to save about $50 per lactation in preventive health costs per cow over breed average sired progeny."
The establishment of De Novo Genetics had more than tripled ABS's elite heifer program and significantly increased its capacity to produce in-house elite dairy genetics.
It had created one of the world's largest genetic nucleus herds, Mr Quinlan said.
Integration of the herds was aided by similarities in breeding strategies previously pursued by ABS and De-Su as both were built around developing traits of economic importance to farmers, he said.
"Over time, the genetics we develop through De Novo will also take the industry forward,'' Mr Quinlan said.
"The efficiency traits that we focus on will improve everyone's bottom line."
