Comparison of different validation methods for single-step genomic evaluations based on a simulated cattle population

Abstract

The validation of estimated breeding values from single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) is an important topic, as more and more countries and animal populations are currently changing their genomic prediction to single-step. The objective of this work was to compare different methods to validate single-step genomic breeding values (GEBV). The investigations were carried out using a simulation study based on the German-Austrian-Czech Fleckvieh population. To test the validation methods under different conditions, several biased and unbiased scenarios were simulated. The application of the widely used Interbull GEBV test to the single-step method is only possible to a limited extent, partly because of genomic preselection, which biases conventional estimated breeding values. Alternative validation methods considered in the study are the Linear Regression method proposed by Legarra and Reverter, the improved genomic validation including extra regressions as suggested by VanRaden and an adaption of the Interbull GEBV test using (daughter) yield deviations ((D)YD) from ssGBLUP instead of pedigree BLUP. The comparison of the different methods for the different scenarios showed that for males the methods based on GEBV estimate the dispersion more accurate and less biased compared with the GEBV test using DYD from ssGBLUP, whereas the standard Interbull GEBV test is highly affected by genomic preselection for males. For females, the GEBV test using yield deviations from ssGBLUP results in better estimations for the true dispersion.