Updated version of the textbook Animal Breeding and Genetics online

In 2014 Groen Kennisnet published the digital textbook Animal Breeding and Genetics for BSc students. The textbook was written by Liesbeth van de Waaij and Kor Oldenbroek. The textbook became available in Dutch and English, and it was highly valued around the world for its comprehensiveness and clarity. The textbook was later translated into Arabic and Chinese (books), Spanish, French, and Romanian (pdf’s).

After 2014 the set up and execution of breeding programs changed significantly. The implementation of DNA techniques for the selection of breeding animals, the implementation of sensor techniques in collecting phenotypes, and the possibilities of storage and analysing large datasets all led to more balanced breeding goals, breeding value estimation with a large role for the DNA composition of animals, a more intense selection, a severe reduction of generation intervals, and a more accurate estimation of genetic diversity in breeding populations.

The new version of the Animal Breeding and Genomics textbook now includes information about the abovementioned changes. Kor Oldenbroek and Mario Calus of Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR-ABG) updated the relevant chapters and paragraphs in collaboration with the Breed4Food partners CRV, Topigs Norsvin, Hendrix Genetics and Cobb Europe BV. The update was granted by the ‘Kennis op Maat’ (KoM) programme of the ‘Topsector Agri & Food’.