Is Genomic Selection Viable for Dairy Goats in Developing Countries?

Abstract

The linkage disequilibrium (DL) measures the degree of association between alleles on the same chromosomes or on different chromosomes. If there are higher frequencies in these associations, it is indicated that these genes are linked and some serve as markers for others. In this way, it is possible to make selection of genes of economic importance based on the frequency of others that are linked to them. LD forms mainly in the evolutionary process of and animal population selection. Studies showed that dairy goat population in many parts of the world have low DL. Thus, the selection process in these populations was not of intensity to promote high LD. We can stress that selection by molecular markers would produce inefficient results in these population, especially in developing countries with informal dairy goats’ market, and the high cost for animal genotyping would not be justified at this time. Abbreviations: GS: Genomic Selection; LD: Linkage Disequilibrium; QTL: Quantitative Trait Loci; SNP: Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms; GEBV: Genomic Breeding Values; MAF: Minor Allele Frequency