In order to best serve the commercial swine industry, purebred swine breeders must continue to emphasize the production of seedstock with documented quality and predictability. The Swine Testing and Genetic Evaluation System (STAGES™), a program of the National Swine Registry (NSR), provides purebred genetic suppliers the opportunity to do just that.
Developed by the NSR to facilitate genetic improvement, STAGES™ calculates the most economically significant traits and predicts the genetic value of each pig using Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) technology. A team of leading swine geneticists from U.S. land grant universities oversees the system to ensure its effectiveness in making genetic improvement. STAGES™ accurately assesses the genetic merit of all participating nucleus herds of America's Best Genetics. Through accurate data collection and reporting, a database of nearly two million performance records has been compiled for numerous economically relevant traits, and with state-of-the-art technology, EPDs and indexes are updated each evening. These predictions of genetic merit, coupled with a DNA-verified pedigree structure, help purebred operations find ways to make hogs better and more profitable.