Develop reproductive management, including quantitative definitions of nutritional factors that improve gonadal function, reproductive behavior, and embryo survival. These will be integrated into a comprehensive management system. Develop improved production system methods to use and recycle nutrients and animal wastes for useful purposes in an environmentally sound way. The industry will benefit from the use of molecular genetics, understanding of animal physiological and metabolic functions, and the combination of molecular and quantitative genetics to improve animal production systems. The genetic diversity in the world's animal populations will be better understood, used, and preserved.
Objectives Develop genetic markers.
This can only be accomplished by the maintenance of genetic diversity. Understand genetic regulation. Identify and use genetic regulation of key behavioral, physiological, and regulatory processes that control functional relationships to optimize animal production. Use genetic modification methods. Accelerate the use of molecular genetics to modify performance and improve composition of animals and animal products.