Marker genes for productive longevity of cattle

Obtaining highly productive farm animals in dairy cattle breeding using the latest biotechnological techniques and methods in order to extend their maximum productive life is the most important world problem. This paper sets out the priority tasks for the country’s livestock farms to develop and implement new biotechnology and genetic engineering methods in order to identify the marker genes responsible for the longevity of highly productive cows. Materials on the study of the genetic potential of animals with due consideration of the following economically useful traits are presented – growth intensity, milk productivity, reproductive performance, productive longevity and disease resistance. It has been proven that this can only be achieved through targeted selection and the creation of a breeding base. It has been established that the study of allelic polymorphism of cattle longevity marker genes is a relevant area in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. At the present stage, more and more attention is being paid to the study of polymorphism of DNA markers of production traits of farm animals. Using them as methods for a more objective assessment of breeding values of animals can accelerate and stabilize the management of selection processes. In the paper, special attention is paid to genetic evaluation and selection methods for longevity, which have been reviewed in the scientific literature of the last decade.