On January 14, from noon to 1 p.m. CST, Dr. Chad Dechow will present, "Potential and Pitfalls for Genomic Selection." Dechow is an associate professor of dairy cattle genetics in the Penn State University's Animal Sciences Department. He teaches principles of animal breeding, dairy problem solving and dairy cattle evaluation and selection, among other courses.
Progressive Dairyman asked Dr. Dechow for additional details about his presentation:
Q. Why is this topic important?
Genomics presents many new opportunities for producers, including both registered breeders and commercial producers. Genomic selection has also changed the way bull studs operate to a significant degree and those changes impact all users of artificial insemination.
Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from your webinar presentation?
I'd like to give folks a realistic sense of what genomics can and cannot accomplish and to feel comfortable using genomic tools. Genomic predictions have been more accurate for some traits than others and that needs to be communicated more clearly.
Producers can spend a lot of money on genomic tests and I'd like to help them understand when it is a good investment, and when not. There are also some terrific online tools for breeders that I would like to make sure they have been exposed to.
Be sure to tune in on January 14, and click here to plan for other webinar presentations. Click here to view archived webinars. PD
