Genomic tests will 'revolutionise' how northern graziers manage their herds

The genomic tests were officially launched at Beef Australia on Monday and will allow graziers across northern Australia to determine a bull's fertility, growth and adaptation traits at a young age.

Mrs Marks and her husband Darren own Winvic Pastoral, 40 kilometres north of Clermont in the Kilcummin district, and took part in the Northern Genomics Project conducted by University of Queensland.

Led by UQ Professor Ben Hayes, the project recorded fertility traits, growth traits, body condition score, temperament, tick scores and buffalo fly lesion scores on almost 30,000 heifers and cows, representing the breeds, crossbreeds and composites used in the north.

The Marks' operation comprises 1000 Braford breeders that are crossed with Herefords and Red Brahmans.

"It's good for Brafords because there's an absence of robust data behind the breed, so without breedplan or estimated breeding values, genomics is a great tool we can utilise to boost our productivity," Mrs Marks said.

"We're looking for the ability to get cows back in calf quickly... but we don't want to lose sight of weight.

"It gives us the ability to identify those animals that carry all of those traits, make selection decisions on them and then use those cattle as donor cows in IVF programs to multiply those genetics."

Black Box Co, the organisation which has commercialised the tests known as RePRO BI, said the genomic testing could be used on cattle breeds across northern Australia where sufficient data was previously lacking.

"Angus and Wagyu have really strong datasets in their breed plans and EBVs, so if you were looking for accuracy and running a straight Wagyu herd, do that," Black Box Co chief executive Shannon Speight said.

"But if you have a Brahman herd and you're crossing Wagyus over your cattle, this is a test for you."

The tests are done using a tissue-sampling unit which takes a small sample from the ear of an animal before it is placed in fluid and sent away to the Neogen, which extracts the DNA.

The data is then run through an algorithm to determine the genomic predictions and presented to the farmer in the form of Genomic Breeding Values and a ranking system which rates animals from most to least productive.

Mrs Speight said a key driver for profitability in cattle herds in northern Australia was fertility, and genomic testing could be used to determine at what age a heifer was likely to first fall pregnant.

"We don't have the nutrition like graziers in southern Australia have," she said.

"You need animals that are turning out roughly a calf a year, but the average in north Australia is two calves in three years, and normally those cattle are calving as a three or four-year-old.

"Because we're limited by nutrition, we've got to compensate with genetics and that's what genomics does."

During the launch at Beef 2024, Mrs Speight told onlookers genomic testing would not just benefit breeders, but also offer valuable insights to people purchasing future sires.

"You might buy bulls from a number of different sources, you might be buying bulls from one source, but regardless, that bull has a direct impact in your herd within one to three years, but a generational impact for 20-plus years because you're retaining those females and genetics," Mrs Speight said.

"It's really important to know if they're genetics you want in your herd or not and genomic testing does this."

Mrs Speight said the ability to undertake genomic testing at early age allows graziers to make selection decisions at the time of weaning.

"Some bull breeders will choose to do semen tests or choose bulls at 400 or 600 days and by that point, they're pretty big animals and you're not carstrating any of them," Mrs Speight said.

"If you don't like those animals at that age or if they don't pass the test, they're sold to the meatworks for a lot less value.

"Genomic testing allows you to do that testing at weaning, where you can safely castrate animals and have that steer which is going to have a higher-value carcase, as opposed to a bull."