Progress in breeding techniques for effective beef cattle production in Japan

Considerable genetic improvement of Japanese beef cattle has been achieved using traditional on-station testing schemes. To make full use of the characteristics of Japanese beef cattle, however, it is more appropriate to carry out on-farm progeny testing programs, based on the BLUP (best linear unbiased prediction) animal model. The introduction of MOET (multiple ovulation and embryo transfer) could lead to dramatic changes in conventional beef cattle improvement schemes, rather than replacing traditional breeding schemes. In the near future, biotechnology will enable to obtain easier and more accurate assessments through the determination of the specific DNA segment responsible for the desired phenotypic trait. This paper describes the progress in breeding techniques for effective beef cattle production in Japan.