GenTORE · Project

Genomic Tools That Help Cattle Farmers Pick the Right Breeds for Their Conditions

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Imagine you're a cattle farmer and every year some of your animals struggle with heat, disease, or poor feed — but you don't know which ones will cope best until it's too late. GenTORE built software that reads an animal's DNA and combines it with local farm data — weather, feed quality, management style — to predict which cattle will thrive in your specific conditions. Think of it like a matchmaking service between genetics and geography. The project used over 1 million cattle genotypes across 11 countries to make these predictions work for both dairy and beef operations.

By the numbers

1 million+

cattle genotypes in the project database

consortium partners

countries represented

industry partners in consortium

SMEs in consortium

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Cattle farmers and breeding companies currently make breeding and culling decisions based on incomplete information — mostly production records and pedigree data that don't account for how well animals cope with local conditions like heat stress, disease pressure, or feed variability. This leads to high replacement costs, unpredictable herd performance, and wasted genetic potential. As climate conditions shift across Europe, the gap between genetic potential and actual farm performance is growing wider.

The solution

What was built

GenTORE delivered 30 project outputs including demonstration software for combining health and performance proxies into farm management decisions. The project built multi-breed genomic selection tools, environmental characterization methods for different farm systems, large-scale phenotyping approaches using on-farm precision technology, and predictive models for assessing how breeding and management changes affect whole-farm resilience.

Audience

Who needs this

Dairy farm operators with 200+ cows looking to reduce replacement rates and improve herd longevityCattle breeding organizations wanting to add resilience traits to their genetic evaluation servicesAgTech companies building precision livestock monitoring platforms that need validated algorithmsVeterinary advisory services seeking data-driven tools for herd health managementAgricultural cooperatives managing breeding programs across multiple member farms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Dairy Farming

mid-size

Target: Medium to large dairy operations struggling with herd resilience and replacement costs

If you are a dairy farm manager dealing with unpredictable cow health and high replacement rates — this project developed genomic selection software that predicts which animals will stay productive across changing conditions. The tools combine DNA data with your local environment profile to guide breeding and culling decisions. Tested across 11 countries with over 1 million genotypes, these tools were designed to work under commercial farm conditions.

Cattle Breeding & Genetics

any

Target: Breeding organizations and genetics companies offering bull catalogs or semen services

If you are a breeding organization looking to differentiate your genetic offerings beyond simple production traits — this project created multi-breed selection indexes that account for resilience and efficiency together. With 26 consortium partners including 7 industry players and 6 SMEs, the tools let you offer breed recommendations tailored to specific farm environments. This means your customers get genetics matched to their actual conditions, not just average performance numbers.

Precision Livestock Technology

SME

Target: AgTech companies developing on-farm sensors and monitoring systems

If you are an AgTech company building sensor systems for livestock farms — this project developed methods for large-scale phenotyping of resilience and efficiency using on-farm technology. The demonstration software combines multiple health and performance proxies into actionable management indicators. With 30 deliverables covering everything from environmental characterization to predictive farm models, there are integration opportunities for sensor data platforms.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these genomic tools on my farm or in my breeding program?

The project did not publish specific licensing or per-use pricing. Since this was a Research and Innovation Action with 26 partners, commercialization terms would depend on which specific tool you need and which consortium partner developed it. Contact the coordinator at INRAE (France) to discuss access and pricing.

Can these tools work at the scale of a commercial breeding program with thousands of animals?

Yes — the project was built on a dataset of over 1 million cattle genotypes collected across 11 countries, covering both beef and dairy systems. The objective explicitly states that tools were designed to be applicable under commercial conditions. The demonstration software for combining farm management proxies was built for real-world deployment.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license these tools?

IP is distributed across the 26-partner consortium, which includes 7 industry partners and 6 SMEs alongside universities and research institutes. INRAE (France) coordinated the project. Licensing arrangements would need to be discussed with the relevant IP holders depending on which tool or module you need.

Does this work for my specific breed or production system?

GenTORE was specifically designed as a multi-breed tool covering beef, dairy, and mixed production systems. The consortium spans 11 countries with diverse farming conditions. The tools include environmental characterization so they can account for differences between intensive, organic, and grazing-based systems.

How long would it take to integrate these tools into my existing farm management system?

The project produced a demonstration software for combining proxies for farm management, suggesting the tools have a usable interface. However, integration timelines depend on your existing data infrastructure and which specific modules you need. The project ran from 2017 to 2022, so the tools have had development maturity time.

Is this compliant with EU regulations on animal breeding and genomic data?

The project was funded under Horizon 2020 topic SFS-15-2016-2017 (sustainable food security) and involved partners across 11 EU and associated countries. Based on available project data, compliance with breeding regulations was built into the design, but specific regulatory certifications should be confirmed with INRAE.

Consortium

Who built it

GenTORE assembled a strong, well-balanced consortium of 26 partners across 11 countries. With 7 industry partners and 6 SMEs (27% industry ratio), the project had meaningful private-sector involvement — not just academics talking to academics. The 8 research institutes and 6 universities provided the scientific backbone, while the industry partners ensured tools were built for real farm conditions. Coordinated by INRAE, France's largest agricultural research institute, the project had credible leadership. The geographic spread across Western and Northern Europe covers the continent's major cattle-producing regions, which means the tools were validated in diverse climates and farming systems.

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTCoordinator · FR
AARHUS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
CHAMBRE REGIONALE D'AGRICULTURE DE BRETAGNEthirdparty · FR
NOLDUS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BVparticipant · NL
EUROPEAN FORUM OF FARM ANIMAL BREEDERSparticipant · NL
FUNDACJA IMIENIA STANISLAWA KARLOWSKIEGOparticipant · PL
INSTITUT DE L'ELEVAGEparticipant · FR
FEDERAZIONE EUROPEA DI ZOOTECNICAparticipant · IT
INRAE TRANSFERT SASparticipant · FR
SRUCparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVAparticipant · IT
ELIANCEparticipant · FR
UNIVERSIDAD DE LLEIDAparticipant · ES
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUR BIOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU STIFTUNGparticipant · CH
TEAGASC - AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYparticipant · IE
BAYERISCHE LANDESANSTALT FUR LANDWIRTSCHAFTparticipant · DE
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIA DE ARAGONparticipant · ES
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement), France — use Google to find the GenTORE project coordinator contact at INRAE

Order a report on this consortium See INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the GenTORE team to explore licensing their genomic selection tools or farm management software? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help you evaluate fit for your operation.

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