Overview:
Over the years, DGI has made a strong commitment to continued research and development in swine genetics. Our projects are directed towards improving efficiency, meeting more stringent consumer demands on pork quality, achieving faster and more diverse genetic change in our swine populations, and ensuring our position at the forefront of swine genetic improvement. The continual development and improvement of our genetic program has been the major factor in DGI's acceptance in the global business of swine genetics.
Inspired by the unique requirements of different markets and made possible by our large population size, DGI has developed three unique purebred Duroc subpopulations that emphasize economically important traits - a line that emphasizes % lean, a line that emphasizes growth rate / meat quality, and our largest subpopulation, the DGI Standard Line which emphasizes growth rate, % lean, and loin eye area & depth. In taking this proactive approach, DGI offers diverse terminal sire lines with real genetic differences within the Duroc breed, without jeopardizing the inherent superiority of the DGI Duroc's growth and meat quality attributes. These specialized lines allow DGI the flexibility to meet specific product requirements for the pork industry and to provide specific lines that complement or combine well with the various female genotypes used in the industry.
More specifically, DGI's research and development program focuses considerable attention on ADLG (Average Daily Lean Gain) and meat quality. Meat quality evaluations were already a part of R&D activity in 1990. Early collaborative work with Agriculture Canada's Lacombe Research Station included halothane testing, blood marker electrophoresis, DNA testing, and carcass evaluation.
These investigations resulted in DGI being the first breeding stock company to test its entire nucleus breeding herd negative for the stress gene (1992). Since then, DGI has offered only homozygous stress negative terminal sires to the swine industry. DGI strongly believed the adverse effects of this gene greatly outweighed any benefits it may have offered to commercial hog production.
Furthermore, DGI had already initiated extensive carcass evaluations in 1992-1993. These initial trials characterized and benchmarked the meat quality traits of the DGI population. An additional large-scale evaluation focusing on Loin Muscle and Belly Quality of the DGI Duroc was completed in 2002. In 2004-2005, we conducted a major carcass evaluation with a large Canadian pork processor to further investigate the relationship between live ultrasonic measures and meat quality traits. Additionally, DGI is also working with Iowa State University to further investigate and validate Live Ultrasound Technology for measuring Intramuscular Fat.
If you have any questions regarding DGI's genetic program, please contact info@designedgenetics.com.