Genetic improvement programs play a pivotal role in maximizing productivity and profitability in various industries, including aquaculture. This talk presents a comprehensive analysis of the Investment Returns (IR) for genetic improvement investments in shrimp, specifically focusing on different breeding strategies: mass selection, family selection, and genomic selection.
The findings demonstrate that all three breeding strategies contribute to long-term economic benefits for companies investing in genetic improvement. Mass selection, a traditional method based on phenotypic evaluation, allows for genetic progress over generations, leading to improved performance and profitability but with a lower IR than the other strategies. Family-based selection, which involves selecting and breeding individuals from superior families, provides enhanced genetic gains and economic returns. Genomic selection, a cutting-edge approach utilizing genomic information, enables rapid genetic progress by accurately predicting the genetic merit of individuals and by allowing for within family selection, producing the highest economic and genetic gains.
The comparative analysis reveals that genomic selection outperforms mass and family selection in terms of IR. By harnessing genomic information, companies can make more precise breeding decisions, resulting in accelerated genetic gains and higher profitability. However, mass selection and family selection remain viable options for companies with limited genomic resources or specific breeding objectives. Mass selection, despite having lower accuracy, still offers considerable genetic progress and cost-effective improvement opportunities. Family selection, on the other hand, provides greater control over specific traits and allows for customized breeding goals, making it suitable for specialized markets or niche product lines.
The analysis also reflects the challenges and considerations associated with each breeding strategy. Genomic selection requires substantial investment in genomic technology, data management, and skilled personnel. Mass selection may necessitate larger population sizes to maintain genetic diversity, while family selection demands careful family management and increased record-keeping efforts.
In conclusion, genetic improvement investments utilizing different breeding strategies offer substantial IR in the long term. While genomic selection stands out as the most efficient and accurate approach, mass selection and family selection remain viable alternatives depending on the specific needs and resources of the company. Understanding the economic impact and trade-offs of each breeding strategy enables companies to make informed decisions and optimize their genetic improvement investments.