Advancing Cattle Breeding and Production Through Genomics, Phenotyping, Bioinformatics, and Sustainable Practices

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 187

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Bayer Crop Science, Minas Gerais, Uberlândia 38057-049, Brazil
Interests: animal breeding; genomics; bioinformatics; statistics; big data

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: genetics; genomics; livestock; statistical genetics
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Guest Editor
Interbull Centre, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: cattle breeding; genomics; genetic evaluation; statistics

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
Interests: cattle breeding; genomics; genetic evaluation; genotype by environment interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in genomics, phenotyping technologies, and bioinformatics have opened new possibilities for improving cattle breeding and production systems. These approaches enable more accurate selection, accelerated genetic gain, and a deeper understanding of the complex traits related to growth, fertility, disease resistance, environmental resilience, and robustness. At the same time, sustainable practices in livestock management are becoming increasingly important to address global challenges such as climate change, resource efficiency, and animal welfare.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for the latest research and innovations that integrate genomic technologies, advanced phenotyping, and data-driven tools with sustainable cattle production systems. We welcome studies that demonstrate how these combined approaches can enhance productivity, genetic diversity, and long-term viability of beef and dairy production.

The Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and case studies covering, but not limited to, the following topics:

-Genomic selection, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and gene editing in cattle;
-High-throughput phenotyping and precision livestock technologies;
-Applications of bioinformatics and big data in cattle breeding;
-Multi-omics approaches (e.g., genomics, phenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics);
-Integration of genetics and nutrition for improved feed efficiency;
-Breeding strategies for climate resilience, robustness, and disease resistance;
-Sustainability and environmental impact of modern breeding programmes;
-Genetic diversity conservation in cattle populations;
-Ethical, economic, and policy considerations in genomic-based breeding.

Dr. Vinicius Silva Junqueira
Dr. Jorge Hidalgo
Dr. Gabriel Soares Campos
Dr. Delvan Alves da Silva
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • genomic selection
  • cattle breeding
  • high-throughput phenotyping
  • bioinformatics
  • feed efficiency
  • genetic improvement

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 4511 KB  
Article
Development of a 5K Liquid-Phase Genome-Wide Breeding Chip for Xinglong Buffalo
by Yuqing Jiao, Junming Jiang, Shiyuan Li, Taoyu Chen, Xinjun Qiu, Ke Cui, Boling Li, Si Chen, Qiaoling Chen, Li Du, Churiga Man, Lianbin Li, Fengyang Wang and Hongyan Gao
Animals 2025, 15(18), 2702; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182702 - 15 Sep 2025
Abstract
The Xinglong buffalo is a local swamp buffalo breed adapted to tropical regions in China. To facilitate the protection and utilization of valuable genetic resources, we first developed the breed-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) liquid-phase chip based on genotyping-by-target-sequencing (GBTS) technology. Whole-genome resequencing [...] Read more.
The Xinglong buffalo is a local swamp buffalo breed adapted to tropical regions in China. To facilitate the protection and utilization of valuable genetic resources, we first developed the breed-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) liquid-phase chip based on genotyping-by-target-sequencing (GBTS) technology. Whole-genome resequencing data from 143 buffaloes, resulting in 34,757,694 SNPs, were used to identify 1208 breed-specific and 2889 background sites. This chip also incorporates 965 functional SNP sites derived from literature, including SNPs significantly associated with immunity, reproduction, growth, and production. A total of 5062 SNP sites were successfully identified for the development of a 5K liquid-phase genome-wide breeding chip for the Xinglong buffalo. The validation of the chip using 93 samples showed a high detection rate with good repeatability and consistency. In addition, the chip exhibits strong capabilities in clustering and kinship analysis. Results of kinship analysis underscored the importance of a breed-specific chip for the Xinglong buffalo. These results highlight the advantages of a low-density, cost-effective, and breed-specific SNP chip for accurate genotyping. This chip will support future endeavors in molecular breeding, conservation, and genetic evaluation of Xinglong buffalo, thereby facilitating the sustainable utilization of this valuable indigenous germplasm resource. Full article
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