Pedigree Selection

When bulls are evaluated and selected only on the basis of performance of their parents and grand parents, the process is referred to as Pedigree Selection (PS).

In a situation where a large numbers of animals of a particular breed spread over many villages in the breeding tract and where there is a limited or no infrastructure is available for implementation of progeny testing programme, Pedigree Selection appears to be the suitable alternative to bring genetic improvement in those particular breeds.

A usual strategy adopted under Pedigree Selection programme is to divide available villages having animals of the breed into two categories: one as multiplier villages about 20-40 having better quality animals and the remaining as other villages having animals of the breed. The females are performance recorded and the best genetics is used in multiplier villages to produce bulls, best among them are used in the multiplier villages and others are used in the base population. Thus, Pedigree Selection programme not only helps in disseminating best genetic material from multiplier villages/herds to other villages/herds, but it also helps in popularising AI in the project villages.

The infrastructure created under Pedigree selection programme may act as a stepping stone to implement Progeny Testing programme for those valuable Indigenous breeds in future.

Pedigree Selection