Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics in association with ICBF are proud to announce the launch of the groundbreaking Genocells technology that allows dairy farmers to determine individual somatic cell counts using a single bulk tank milk sample. This service will be available exclusively to Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics milk recording customers this Spring. The National Genotyping Programme (NGP) introduced by ICBF in 2023 has provided a natural pathway for the rollout of this new service to Irish Dairy Farmers. ICBF CEO, Sean Coughlan highlighted: “ICBF are delighted to see Genocells launch in the Irish market. Thanks to the National Genotyping Programme (NGP), over 4,000 dairy herds are now fully genotyped, giving them access to this innovative service to enhance SCC management.” 

How this Technology Works

Genocells works by extracting the DNA from the somatic cells in the milk and comparing the genotype of this extracted DNA to the recorded genotype of the cows contributing milk to the bulk tank.
As somatic cells are the only milk components that contain DNA, the % of DNA that each cow contributes to the overall DNA volume in the bulk tank is equivalent to the % somatic cells that each cow contributes to bulk tank SCC. This is known as % cellular responsibility.
Individual somatic cell counts are then calculated using the % cellular responsibility, the % of the milk volume that the cow contributed to the tank (calculated using milk recording yields) and the bulk tank SCC result. Genocells SCC results are reported using bands (0-50,51-199,200-249,250-499,500-999,1000+).
“Munster Bovine’s commitment is to provide services that bring value to farmers, ensure that the right data is collected and this information is easy to use to make the right management decisions about the cows” said Martin Kavanagh CEO, Munster Bovine. “Genocells in conjunction with the milk recording service is the next step in this commitment to delivering innovative services that bring real value to farmers. Genocells requires minimal effort to test an entire herd for SCC and we will continue to develop this service over the coming years to improve mastitis and cell count management.”

Who is Genocells Suitable For?

• Genocells will provide more points of information over and above the 4 milk recordings to manage herds with high or fluctuating cell counts.
• Genocells is also suitable for low cell count herds that experience  spikes in cell count as it is a simple and convenient way of identifying high SCC cows relatively quickly.
• Genocells can also provide more points of information about individual cows before dry off to make better decisions regarding dry cow therapy and cow retention.

What does a dairy farmer have to do to avail of Genocells?

• All cows contributing milk to the bulk tank must be genotyped. If a non genotyped cow contributes milk to the bulk tank, this will affect the accuracy of the results for other cows.
• The herd must be a member of ICBF HerdPlus.
• The herdowner must download the ICBF HerdPlus app – there is no cost associated with this.
• The herd must be signed up to do 4 milk recordings in the year and the first milk recording must be completed before a Genocells test can take place, as yield is essential to calculate individual SCCs from the % cellular responsibility.

Availability

Call us today for more information on (022) 43228 or see munsterbovine.ie/genocells.