Outreach, society, policy

Sheep Genetics after 20 years: Driving Innovation in Genetic Evaluation for the Australian Sheep Industry and Beyond

---

Abstract

Sheep Genetics (SG), a business unit of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), was established in 2005 to deliver a national, across‑flock genetic evaluation system for Merino, maternal, and terminal sire breeds. Through its core products MERINOSELECT and LAMBPLAN, SG has provided a standardised and industry‑wide genetic evaluation language that has enabled comparable Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) across flocks, production environments, and breeding objectives. Over the past two decades, the program has been defined by continuous improvement in statistical methodologies, sustained R&D investment, strong industry ownership, and an extensive national extension program. These foundations have supported substantial increases in data volume, participation, and genetic gain across the Australian sheep industry.This paper investigates how industry engagement has evolved alongside major developments in SG evaluation systems, tools, and digital infrastructure, as well as SG's international collaborations. Data submission has increased dramatically, with more than 200,000 new animals added annually to both the MERINOSELECT and LAMBPLAN databases in 2025. This represents a fourfold increase for MERINOSELECT (from 52,000 animals recorded in 2011) and a substantial rise for LAMBPLAN from 118,000 animals in 2011. This expansion in seedstock recording has occurred in parallel with a major shift in commercial‑producer behaviour, with adoption of ASBVs rising from under 20% in the early 2010s to more than 50% in the early 2020s, creating a stronger commercial pull‑through for objective genetic information.Over the same period, annual rates of genetic gain have accelerated across all major breed types. For Merinos, genetic gain increased from $1.13 per ewe joined in the first five years of SG to $2.52 in the most recent five‑year period. Terminal sire breeds increased from $1.22 to $1.99, while maternal breeds achieved the largest improvement, rising from $0.72 to $3.43 per ewe joined per year. Several targeted innovations have contributed to these outcomes, including the rollout of data quality score reporting in 2015 (and routine on‑click access from 2021), enhanced analytical pipelines, and the implementation of a customised MateSel system to support structured mating and selection decisions within flocks.This paper quantifies the changes in data submission, recording patterns, and breeder engagement that have enabled these improvements, and presents national trends in participation and genetic gain. It evaluates the cumulative impact of SG on productivity and sustainability across the Australian sheep industry and highlights the importance of adoption programs, commercial pull‑through strategies, and continued investment in communication, education, and digital platforms. The paper also outlines future opportunities arising from the next generation of genomic evaluation tools and industry datasets.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Bradley, P., Bradford, C., Byrne, A., Hodge, M., Walkom, S. & Brown, D., (2026) “Sheep Genetics after 20 years: Driving Innovation in Genetic Evaluation for the Australian Sheep Industry and Beyond”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2284434. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.23568

Rights: 1