In Richtung eines präventiven Gesundheitsmanagements für heimische Zweinutzungsrinder in ökologischen Weideproduktionssystemen mittels neuartiger Zuchtstrategien auf Basis von innovativen Datenerfassungssystemen

Summary

Nachfolgende Zusammenfassung wurden dem „2-Org-Cows Final Report for the CORE Organic Plus funded project” entnommen. Es werden nur Aspekte dargestellt, an denen die Agrartechnik mittelbar oder
unmittelbar beteiligt war:
• Successful implementation of SensOor technology in research/contract herds in all partner countries: This is the basis for an identical automatically recording technique of health and behaviour indicator traits across country borders. On the basis of SensOor® records from multiple dual-purpose cattle breeds across country borders, we identified genomic regions of interest and potential candidate genes for behaviour and welfare traits.
• The ‘trait atlas’ is a basis for harmonized phenotyping across country borders and production systems for further functional traits (conformation, health, behaviour, fertility). We showed that novel physiological traits (e.g., respiration rate, body temperature, surface temperature) have a moderate heritable component.
• Detailed characterization of grazing herd environments via the installation of data loggers to record temperature and humidity. Additionally, we used a rising platemeter (E10) to measure sword height and grass energy content, we did pasture classifications (e.g., percentage of herbs), and we determined fodder ingredients (protein content, energy content). This is the unique environmental data basis to estimate genetic values along environmental gradients.
• A data base system was developed by the agricultural engineering group, including a broad range of information about animal traits (including SensOor data), pedigrees, genotype data, farm characteristics, climate data, etc., with programming tools for on-farm analyses.
• SensOor®-validations: The agricultural engineering group installed alternative cattle behaviour devices in participating research herds: Rumiwatch halters, pH-boluses and pedometers for SensOor®-validation. Validations contributed to an optimized new version of SensOor®-ear tags.