Scientists warn cattle diversity is being bred out

Selective breeding has boosted cattle productivity but may also have stripped away genetic traits that could prove crucial for disease resistance, fertility and climate resilience, new research suggests.

A review led by researchers at Aberystwyth University found that decades of intensive breeding have narrowed the genetic base of many cattle populations.

The study, published in Applied Animal Science, warns that valuable traits preserved in traditional herds could be lost unless greater efforts are made to identify and conserve them.

The review highlights traditional populations of Ayrshire, Jersey and Hereford cattle as examples of herds that remain genetically distinct from modern breeding lines.

These populations are often smaller, less intensively managed and more closely adapted to local conditions.

Researchers said that could make them particularly valuable for future breeding programmes as farmers face greater pressure from disease, climate change and shifting market demands.

Kardelen Oya Temiz, a researcher involved in the study, said: “Traditional cattle populations are more than just historical relics – they are living genetic libraries that hold answers to some of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture today.”

She said modern breeding had understandably focused on productivity, but that this had sometimes reduced genetic diversity within cattle populations.

“Modern breeding has understandably focused on productivity, but this has often come at the cost of genetic diversity.”

The researchers said traditional populations may preserve useful traits linked to disease resistance, fertility and the ability to cope with harsher environments.

Temiz added: “If we lose these populations, we risk losing irreplaceable genetic resources that could help secure the future of livestock farming.”

The authors argue that conserving traditional cattle populations should be seen as a practical farming issue as well as a matter of heritage.

As climate change alters farming conditions and disease pressures evolve, traits retained within older populations could potentially be reintroduced into wider breeding programmes.

The study is calling for more genomic surveys of breeds where ancestral populations still survive.

Researchers said documenting that diversity now would help ensure potentially valuable traits remain available for future breeding and conservation work.

Dr Matt Hegarty, senior lecturer in Aberystwyth University’s Department of Life Sciences, said modern agriculture had delivered major gains in efficiency and output.

However, he warned that a narrower genetic base could leave herds more vulnerable to disease, environmental stress and changing market conditions.

“Traditional breeds offer us a chance to reintroduce resilience and adaptability into cattle populations,” he said.

The study argues that documenting and conserving these populations now could give future breeding programmes access to genetic traits that may become increasingly valuable as disease, climate and production pressures intensify.