In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Christine Baes from the University of Guelph shares how genetics and genomics are transforming the way we think about sustainability in dairy herds. She explains how using genomic tools in breeding programs can help cut methane emissions, strengthen herd health, and keep dairies running efficiently. Tune in now to hear how genomic selection is helping producers breed cows that perform better, last longer, and support a more sustainable dairy industry.

"When we talk about breeding or genetic selection, we’re talking about how to make cows better: healthier, more efficient, more environmentally friendly."

Meet the guest: Dr. Christine Baes is a quantitative geneticist and the Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics at the University of Guelph, where she also serves as Acting Associate Dean of External Relations at the Ontario Agricultural College. Her work focuses on genetic strategies that improve sustainability, animal health, and production efficiency. 

Click here to learn more:

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project—A general overview of methods and objectives related to feed efficiency and methane emissions

Review: Opportunities and challenges for the genetic selection of dairy calf disease traits

Estimation of genetic parameters and genome-wide association study for enzootic bovine leukosis resistance in Canadian Holstein cattle

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:47) Introduction
• (01:56) Breeding for sustainability
• (04:37) Genetics versus genomics
• (06:02) Genomic selection tools
• (07:02) Reducing methane emissions
• (08:45) Global genetic impact
• (09:55) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

LinkedIn: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast