Developing a Reduced SNP Panel for Low-cost Genotyping in Beef Cattle

The objective of this study was to develop a low-density reduced SNP panel (RP) that could capture most of the predictive ability of a 50K panel for six important traits (birth, weaning and yearling weights; calving ease direct; marbling; and rib eye area) in beef cattle. More than 15,000 animals from six cattle breeds genotyped with 50K were used to select markers highly associated with target traits. Accuracies of direct genomic breeding values (DGV) were calculated for 3 independent validation populations using either 50K or RP. Accuracies of DGV obtained from RP were comparable with those obtained from 50K (\u3e75% predictive ability of 50K) while the size of RP i