Hermitage Maternal Genes - Unique in the world of pig genetics

Hermitage, in association with Certagen GmbH, have studied the molecular biology of our maternal line genes. Part of this programme has focused specifically on the mitochondrial genome of the maternal animals (Mitochondria have a key role to play in the generation of chemical energy for animals cells and their regulation of cellular metabolism). The Mitochondrial DNA is passed along the female breeding line, from mother to daughter to gran-daughter etc, and has been analysed in all Hermitage GCP / GP maternal lines. Researchers in Germany have identidied fourteen different mitochondrial haplotypes in the Hermitage MAternal lines and sophisticated analyses of the breeding data have demonstrated for the first time, the influence of the mitchondrail genome on maternal traits.

The different mitochondrial haplotypes are specific to the different maternal pedigree families maintained at Hermitage and the results of this research demonstrate the importance of the mitochondrial genome in an energy demanding process like reproduction, having a direct and significant effect on the number of piglets born alive, enhancing genetic progress by up to 10%.

By combining the desirable Hermitage maternal line genes in our breeding lines with the ongoing performance testing and BLUP selection programme, the resulting maternal lines produced at Hermitage offer producers access to some of the most unique and top performing maternal lines genes to be found anywhere in the world. In addition, the combination of these prolific maternal genes with on farm BLUP progress and the benefits of heterosis, ensures that the Hermitage females produced under the Closed Herd Programme on our customers farms are among the top performing parent sows to be found in the world today.