Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is traditionally defined as the increase in the performance of crossbred progeny relative to the average performance of their purebred parents. These heterosis effects may vary depending on the breed of animals in the original cross; however, breed-specific estimates are difficult to obtain because of the resources required to estimate the effects. The Germplasm Evaluation Program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center is designed to evaluate crosses of 18 different prominent U.S. beef cattle breeds. This study estimated specific heterosis by breed group (British, Brahman, and Continental) as well as the average heterotic advantage of each of these 18 breeds. Results suggest strong hybrid vigor in Brahman crosses, as well as specific advantages of several other breeds. These results can be used by breeders to evaluate the relative advantages of different breeds in crossbreeding programs.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.