The Role of Genomic Selection in Animal Breeding: A Comparative Review of Applications in Türkiye and Around the World

Genomic selection (GS) is a method that uses genetic markers distributed throughout the genome. It has a powerful and widespread impact on current animal breeding practices. This impact stems from high levels of variation and a shorter intergenerational period. In contrast, genetic selection is a form of selection based on pedigree. GS is a method used to select individuals with high productivity at an early age. It enables the earlier, more cost-effective and reliable identification of individuals with superior traits. It is particularly useful for estimating challenging selection parameters, such as reproductive traits, disease resistance and feed efficiency. This is primarily due to the low heritability of these traits. This review sets out to explore the fundamental concepts, technological foundations, and practical applications of GS in livestock breeding. It focuses on outlining both the benefits and the challenges of this approach, while also discussing its prospects for future development. The discussion begins with an explanation of the key methodological aspects of GS and then moves on to compare its implementation in several pioneering countries, including the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands. In these nations, large-scale genomic programmes have played a central role in accelerating genetic improvement and delivering notable economic gains, particularly in dairy and beef cattle production. The resulting analysis examines the current status of GS in Türkiye, with a focus on the progress made through various research projects, the use of molecular data and national herd recording systems. Despite these positive developments, challenges remain relating to the integration and analysis of genomic data, establishing a reference population, and adapting selection indices to native breeds. The review ends by underlining how important it is to invest in genomic technologies and to bring together different subjects, in order to make the livestock sector in Türkiye more competitive and sustainable.