Allen Moczygemba
The Front Gate
New genomic test coming.
During the Genomics Symposium at the National Angus Convention in Fort Worth, the American Angus Association will be introducing a new genomic test, AngusGS™. AngusGS will be a high-density 50K test designed by the team of geneticists at Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and powered by Neogen GeneSeek®.
More information, new option
It’s truly an exciting development. The new genomic test is built specifically for Angus cattle, which, over time, will mean improved accuracy and better results. AngusGS is the culmination of your commitment to the use of genomic testing, the long-term vision of the AGI team and the support of our friends at Neogen.
The AGI team has worked to saturate the new genomic test with markers targeting Angus-specific regions of the genome. This means future improved test accuracy once a subset of animals has been tested with AngusGS. Additional markers for traits like fertility, feed efficiency and tenderness, including Calpain and Calpastatin, have been included to advance research for future trait selection.
As I mentioned during my remarks to the delegates during last year’s annual business meeting in Indianapolis, we should expect the price for genomic tests to continue to decline as the use of the technology grows. That’s exactly what has happened.
The cost for the new AngusGS test will be significantly lower than similar products that are currently in the marketplace. The AngusGS price is $37. That’s a savings of greater than 50% compared to current HD tests in the marketplace.
Initial utilization of AngusGS will be similar to upgrading all newly tested animals from a low-density test to a high-density test. The current genomic markers utilized in the Angus weekly genetic evaluation will be included on AngusGS and will continue to be included in the genetic evaluation. In addition, AngusGS parentage markers are included in the test design and are compatible with all previously reported parentage results in the Association’s database.
In the meantime, members should feel confident using our current genomic tools to test and make decisions until the new test arrives.
While the new test won’t be available until November, we don’t want you to put off submitting tests in order to realize the price savings, which could perhaps negatively impact breeding decisions for your herd. As a result, both the Neogen GGPLD and Zoetis i50K tests are now offered for the same price ($37) as the AngusGS test.
One last point I want to make is about the manner in which we announced the new test. The Board of Directors learned about AngusGS and its lower price Aug. 7, while the rest of the membership received the news one week later. Ideally, we’d have liked to inform everyone at the same time, but due to a logistics issue, we weren’t able to do so. However, to ensure that each and every member is treated equally, any samples submitted during the week of Aug. 7 received a refund of the difference between the price of whichever test may have been ordered and the new price of $37. It’s important that you know that the Association does everything within its power to ensure that each and every member has access to the same benefits.
Editor’s Note: Allen Moczygemba is the CEO of the American Angus Association.