Livestock industry gets a real boost from science.

In Saskatchewan, as in the rest of Canada, livestock is big business. In 1999, the industry generated more than $968 million in this province alone and it's likely the figure for the year 2000 will cross the $1-billion mark.

Keeping this business thriving and moving forward is a matter of good business practices and sound decisions. It's also a matter of science.

In the livestock industry, the value of an animal is determined by its characteristics and performance, and by the characteristics and performance of its ancestors and offspring. The best guarantee of good breeding stock is found in the science of blood typing.

In recent years the livestock industry has received even more help from science through DNA testing and gene mapping. While DNA testing can be used for parentage verification, breakthroughs being made in biotechnology have a much more far-reaching impact.

By analyzing and understanding the DNA data of thousands of cattle, scientists have been able to identify a number of genetic markers, each of which is associated with a particular trait in the animal. The mapping of these genetic markers is called gene mapping and it's revolutionizing the livestock industry.

For example, genetic research has made it possible to test cattle for the presence of kappa-casein, a milk protein associated with higher milk production and better cheese-making properties. Similarly, gene mapping has made it possible to identify which dairy cattle will produce milk of higher protein or lower fat or even which cattle will be able to produce longer. Obviously, this sort of information is invaluable to producers when they decide which stock to breed.

Just as gene mapping has made it possible for producers to identify desirable qualities in livestock, genetic markers are also being identified for a number of genetic diseases. This provides a livestock breeder with more of the information they need prior to making the decision to invest tens of thousands of dollars into raising and, possibly, breeding undesirable stock.

The ramifications of this biotechnology are tremendous, of course. Each day, the quality of Canada's livestock improves, which makes our breeders and producers more competitive, helping Saskatchewan's $1-billion industry continue to grow.

But this science isn't cheap. Developing the gene mapping database which identifies genetic markers is an ongoing process which has already taken years, with new genetics markers being identified regularly. It's because of the high cost of this science that it has been applied primarily to the cattle industry, where the amount of money at stake justifies such a large investment. The whole of the cattle industry, from the breed associations to the the artificial insemination units, have shared in this cost, investing a great deal of money in biotechnology and the science of gene mapping over the years. The economics of alternative livestock species, on the other hand, haven't yet made gene mapping advantageous to those industries, although the day is certainly coming.

At present, it costs a breeder approximately $40,000 to progency test a young bull to assess its genetic merit. This is done by breeding the bull with as many as 50 cows and then assessing the traits of the progeny. As the science of gene mapping advances, it is expected that one day, scientists will be able to accurately predict the qualities of future progeny of the bull simply by studying its genetic makeup. This will save breeders and exporters both the time and the cost involved in the current method of progeny testing.

As the science of gene mapping advances, so does the information on which breeders base their decisions. Each scientific advance improves not only the business prospects of breeders, but the quality of Canada's livestock as a whole.

It's an exciting, leading edge science and it's one which will benefit each of us in many ways. Consumers will purchase higher quality meat and dairy products; our livestock export market will grow as our stock quality improves; breeders will have the information they need to constantly improve their herds; and a billion-dollar industry will continue to grow.

That's good science.

Dr. Yves Plante is a Senior Scientist and Manager of the Bova-Can Laboratories at the Saskatchewan Research Council.