Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.

Maternal traits have been the core consideration for cow-calf producers when making breeding decisions and for good reason. The cow is the engine of productivity at the producer level.

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.

Known as the “six essentials,” selection for these traits can improve profitability of any herd, of any breed, in any location: disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, hardiness and milk production.

Efficiency of production, quality of product and sustainability are the intuitive goals of the cattle industry. Producers and consumers alike are interested in the economy of scale and acceptance of beef.

Driving down the county road past drought-stricken fields of sandy, caliche soil in south-central Texas’s Wilson County, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might not be the most fertile ground in the world. But for the Lyssy family, this is the perfect place to grow a cow herd, a family and a legacy.

Feedlots face a myriad of input challenges in their day-to-day operations, including recording data they anticipate will carry enough influence to sway their profit-bearing and decision-making processes.

Demand for high-quality beef has been increasing at a rapid pace for the last decade, with no decline in sight. Prior to that, the percentage of cattle grading USDA Prime averaged about 2% to 4% nationally. Today, USDA Prime is often seen in 10% to 15% or more of cattle.

The foundations for beef cattle genomic testing began over a century ago, when forward-thinking breed associations started collecting pedigree and phenotypic data on registered animals. Breeders studied pedigrees, aspiring to create matings that would yield more valuable animals with desirable physical traits.