Seleksjonsindekser

Seleksjonsindekser, or selection indices, are tools used in animal breeding to rank and select individuals for breeding purposes. They combine information from multiple traits, each weighted according to its economic importance and heritability, into a single score. This allows breeders to make more balanced selection decisions, considering the overall genetic merit of an animal rather than focusing on a single trait.

The development of a selection index involves defining the traits to be included, estimating their economic weights, and determining their genetic parameters such as heritability and genetic correlations. These parameters are crucial for accurately predicting the genetic progress achievable through selection. The index itself is typically a linear combination of the animal's performance for each trait, adjusted for environmental factors.

Seleksjonsindekser are widely used in livestock, particularly in dairy and beef cattle, sheep, and pigs, to improve traits like milk production, growth rate, carcass quality, and reproductive performance. By using selection indices, breeders can efficiently improve multiple traits simultaneously, leading to faster genetic gain and increased profitability in the long term. The effectiveness of a selection index depends on the accuracy of the estimated genetic parameters and the relevance of the traits included for the breeding goal.