A USDA study of crossbred pigs identified genomic regions associated with feed efficiency and body composition.
Crossbred population
The USDA Agricultural Research Service record describes a genome-wide association study using pedigree, measured traits and imputed genome sequences from a crossbred pig population. The paper was accepted by the Journal of Animal Science on 18 September 2026; the ARS record did not yet list a publication date.
Candidate regions
Regions identified in the analysis included candidate genes SIRT2, RYR1, MC4R and LEPR. The reported associations were measured in the study population. Feed, health, housing and other genetics also affect growth and carcass traits. The accompanying USDA photograph is an older research image, not a picture of this experiment.