Igenity Introduces New DNA Management Software
DNA profile results now easier to manage than ever before.
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 29, 2009) — Merial introduces Igenity® software to aid cattle producers in managing and applying inside information from the comprehensive Igenity profile. This customizable information management software provides producers an additional tool to better utilize data gained on cattle, helping them make more confident decisions.
“We are committed to providing cattle producers with the most powerful DNA technology and tools available,” says Stewart Bauck, director, research and development, Igenity. “This includes the industry’s most comprehensive DNA profile and now user-friendly software, making managing and customizing DNA information easier than ever before.”
He adds that DNA information is just DNA information if producers don’t know how to manage or apply it.
“Igenity helps producers turn this inside information into actionable knowledge and results based on their individual operation,” Bauck says.
Currently, two software applications — custom sort and benchmark — are available to customers of Igenity. The custom-sort software is designed to help producers sort and rank their animals based on the traits that are most important to them. First, producers can apply a filter for traits such as coat color or bovine viral diarrhea persistent infection (BVD-PI) status. Then, weights, or percentages of importance, can be applied to the traits the producer deems the most important.
The custom-sort software ranks the cattle based on all of the criteria entered. The result is a customized, overall index score on the familiar 1-to-10 scale from Igenity that can be saved for future use, or exported to a spreadsheet or other on-farm management programs.
For example, an Angus producer may want to start by applying a filter for cattle that are homozygous black, arthrogryposis multiplex-free (AMF) and have a score of 6 or better for marbling and heifer pregnancy rate. The producer then assigns percentages of importance to the additional traits they wish to emphasize — such as 50% for tenderness, 30% for average daily gain and 20% for stayability. Once the custom-sort software ranks the cattle based on these priorities, the producer can make more-confident decisions based on where animals fall within the group.
“The custom-sort software, only available from Igenity, empowers producers to sort cattle without having to dig through a lot of numbers and paperwork. It does the work for them,” Bauck says. “The ability to easily sort and manage the wealth of knowledge from the comprehensive Igenity profile is key in helping producers apply and make decisions based on this inside information.”
The second application currently available in the suite of Igenity software is benchmark software. This software is designed to help producers determine where their herd’s genetics compare with others within their respective breed or the nearly half million cattle in the Igenity database.
“The ability for a producer to see how his or her herd’s genetics stack up against others is powerful knowledge in the quest for genetic progress,” Bauck says. “The benchmark software only available from Igenity also provides producers a unique marketing edge if their herd excels in certain traits.”
Bauck adds that the new Igenity software is in addition to expert advisers from Igenity who can help producers understand how to put this powerful information to work.
“We understand that this is advanced technology. This is why we have a team of advisers and new management software to help producers develop a customized approach to applying the inside information from the Igenity profile in a way that is easy to use and that best fits their individual needs,” he says.
In addition to the software, Igenity offers analyses for: residual feed intake*, dry-matter intake*, average daily gain, tenderness, marbling, quality grade, yield grade, fat thickness, ribeye area, heifer pregnancy rate, stayability (longevity), calving ease, docility, myostatin, arthrogryposis multiplex, coat color, breed-specific horned/polled, multisire parentage, and BVD-PI diagnostic test.
Producers also can choose to use a combination radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and tissue collection device, making DNA collection and electronic identification possible in one simple step. The tissue collection system — available only from Igenity — provides producers with an easy-to-use DNA collection option that consistently results in high-quality samples.
“Igenity provides the beef industry with the most powerful and comprehensive DNA profile, with the only analyses available for maternal traits as well as three times as many analyses as any other DNA provider,”1 Bauck says. “And, the Igenity profile includes the most third-party-validated traits, including the only third-party-validated analyses for feed efficiency.”*
For more information, contact your Igenity sales representative, call 1-877-IGENITY or visit www.igenity.com/beef.
Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from a news release provided by Merial. For more information regarding the release, contact Natasha Joseph, Merial, at 678-638-3690 or Wendy Mayo, Bader Rutter & Associates, at 402-434-5307.
*The analyses for residual feed intake and dry matter intake are currently validated and commercially available for Bos indicus-influenced cattle. Research is under way in Bos taurus cattle and will be available soon. Please check www.igenity.com/beef for updated information about the availability of these analyses for Bos taurus cattle.
1Data on file at Merial.
®IGENITY is a registered trademark of Merial.
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