A LACK of accuracy in breeding estimates is set to delay the commercial release of DNA testing in beef.
This is according to Beef Co-operative Research Centre chief scientist Dr Mike Goddard.
Dr Goddard said the commercial release of DNA markers in breeding values could be delayed by up to another two years.
He blamed the delays on the inability to validate DNA markers against sufficient numbers of cattle with known traits.
Addressing the Team Te Mania beef field day at Habbies Howe, near Seymour, last week, Dr Goddard said meaningful results with sufficient accuracies would require testing against five times the 1000 head currently being researched.
Determination of genetic information using DNA markers was hailed as the centre-piece of the $121 million Beef CRC which commenced in 2005.
Scientists were then hopeful DNA markers would provide a third tool to complement pedigree and Breedplan estimated breeding values.
While EBVs were already used to record information on an animal's performance for traits such as marbling, net feed intake and fertility, the new-style genetic markers would incorporate this information with genome-wide genetic predictions and phenotype information collected by producers.
The scientists were hoping a "chip" containing up to 50,000 DNA markers could be matched or validated against an animal with known traits such as fertility and meat quality.
But Dr Goddard said the DNA chip was too small, and the Beef CRC was looking to a new chip with 850,000 markers.
He was also hoping to validate these markers against at least 5000 animals with tested traits.
The other obstacle for the Beef CRC was the additional cost of the larger chip.
Last December, Beef CRC chief executive Dr Heather Burrow said that on results to date, the CRC was confident it would commercialise DNA markers by 2012, accounting for at least 15 per cent of genetic variation for a range of traits such as marbling, tenderness, saleable meat yield, feed efficiency and female reproduction.
On the latest news that the CRC would be seeking to extend its testing, Dr Goddard agreed the commercial release of meaningful and accurate DNA marker technology to stud breeders was still some years away.
