France’s GROUPE GRIMAUD and AGROCAMPUS OUEST – Higher national institute of agricultural, agri-food, horticultural and landscape sciences – sign partnership agreement in “Genomics and Selection in the Poultry Sector” to improve the knowledge in genomic selection.

Both parties will jointly undertake research on genomic selection (UtOpIGe project) to enhance selection capacity in pyramidal breeding schemes such as laying hens.

Research on adaptability of animals to changing conditions (ChickStress project) will be conducted to understand animals’ mechanisms for adaptation to abiotic stress (thermal shock and sub-optimal nutrition), which may lead in the medium term to the establishment of new selection objectives consistent with animal sturdiness.

These projects will involve 35 scientists from GROUPE GRIMAUD’s research teams and the 135 lecturer-researchers from AGROCAMPUS OUEST.

(left) Grégoire THOMAS, General Manager of Agrocampus and Frédéric GRIMAUD, General Manager of Groupe Grimed at the agreement signing ceremony