When we look back at the evolution of genetic improvement in the beef industry, almost all of our major improvements have come relatively recently. Each of the steps in this evolution improved the accuracy with which we make selection decisions.

As it always is, the 2025 edition of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium – hosted June 9-12 in Amarillo, Texas, by West Texas A&M University – delivered boatloads of cutting-edge research results and practical applications of genetic tools.

In this Progressive Cattle Podcast episode, David visits with Kent Bacus, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Beef Cattle Association, at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference about trade negotiations with Canada, and Tyrell visits with Charley Martinez with the University of Tennessee about a study using artificial intelligence (AI) and tracking eye movement to gauge interest in what genetic information producers are looking at in bull sale catalogs.

Genomics has become one of the most powerful tools in the cattle industry over the last decade, but the technology is often misunderstood. The goal here is to help dispel some myths and confusion around the use of genomics.

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. 

Genomics, in addition to being a powerful decision-making tool, is finding a new home in cattle marketing.

It’s always critical for cow-calf producers to deliver weaned calves desirable to cattle buyers and feedlot operators. In these uncertain times of COVID-19, market pressures and shrinking bottom lines, it’s even more crucial to get it right.

The decision on which replacement females to keep for your breeding herd is one of the more important decisions you make.