Genome-wide association study and genomic prediction applied to dairy buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) are domestic animals of great socio-economic importance, as they are located mainly in developing countries producing meat, milk and work, especially in rice crops, staple food of Asian peoples. In Brazil, these animals stand out in the dairy activity due to the appreciation of mozarella cheese and other products on the market. In animal breeding, the genomic information has been incorporated in the assessment, given the apparent advantages achieved with the adoption of this tool. Currently it has been commercially available a specific buffalo SNP chip, although this panel of markers use the bovine genome as a reference, being the single alternative to high density genotyping of buffalo. Thus, this project proposes to genotype about 1,000 animals, which, have known phenotypes (milk, fat, protein, total solids, somatic cell count, age at first calving and calving interval) for the application of genomic prediction studies and wide association. (AU)