During his PhD project, Bjarke Grove Poulsen studied whether breeding for sow survival can be improved with a new source of data and new statistical models. Sow survival is a challenging trait to improve through breeding because of lack of data and that it is a complex trait to analyze. However, most of the associated challenges have theoretical solutions. These theoretical solutions were compared to the current prediction procedures to determine whether they contributed to breeding for sow survival.

The results show that breeding for sow survival can be improved with a new source of data and new statistical models. Furthermore, the results contribute to the understanding of breeding for sow survival, binary traits, and traits measured in crossbred animals.

The PhD study was completed at Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Wednesday 28 September 2022, at 10 am.
Place: Building 1420, Meeting Room 2, AU Konferencecenter, Fredrik Nielsens vej, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Prediction of breeding values for survival of commercial sows

Contact information: e-mail: bgp@lf.dk, tel.: +45 31 56 53 30

Members of the assessment committee:

Pieter Knap, PIC, USA 

Mario Calus, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, The Netherlands 

Goutam Sahana (chair), Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Main supervisor:
Ole F. Christensen, Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Co-supervisors:
Tage Ostersen, Breeding & Genetics, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Denmark

Bjarne Nielsen, Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Denmark

Mark Henryon, Breeding & Genetics, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Denmark  

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS,

Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.