With this year’s index update, PIC continues to advance its breeding value estimation with a clear goal: translating genetic progress into economic success for our customers even more effectively.
The PIC index combines a wide range of relevant traits and reflects their impact on the profitability of a sow farm or finishing operation. As both genetic and economic conditions continue to change, breeding value estimation is reviewed and adjusted regularly.
New and enhanced traits
A key focus of this year’s update is the integration of new traits and the further development of existing selection criteria:
- Dam lines:
With Caliper Loss, feed efficiency during lactation is directly considered for the first time. The trait describes the change in body condition between farrowing and weaning, enabling more targeted selection of sows that combine high milk production with stable body condition.
In addition, the Perineal Conformation Score introduces another preventive trait into nucleus breeding. Animals with even a slightly increased probability of unfavourable perineal conformation are identified early and consistently removed from the breeding programme. This trait therefore primarily serves to proactively safeguard the population.
- Terminal sires:
With Pork Chop Studio, PIC is using an innovative technology that enables more precise meat quality traits to be included in the index. The tool combines several previously separate work steps — including pH measurement, determination of meat colour, assessment of marbling and Warner-Bratzler tenderness measurement — creating a broader and more objective data foundation for breeding value estimation.
Alignment with current market requirements
The economic weighting factors were also reviewed and adjusted as part of the update. In efficiency-focused terminal sire lines such as PIC®800 or PIC®337, the weighting will shift more clearly towards high growth potential, reflecting increasing efficiency requirements and limited finishing capacity in many markets. In lean-focused lines such as PIC408, the balanced weighting of efficiency and lean yield will remain unchanged. Crossbred boar indexes, including products such as PIC®410 or PIC®380, will also be aligned with the respective updates in their underlying pure-line populations and index scenarios.
At the same time, robustness and other economically relevant traits remain central components of the index. The objective is to make genetic progress practical and usable under real market conditions.
Alignment with current market requirements
In addition to new traits, the update also includes a fundamental enhancement of the data foundation. This includes, among other things:
- Refined data sources for more precise breeding value estimates
- Updated heritabilities and genetic correlations
- Regular review and further development of the calculation models
These adjustments increase the reliability of breeding values and help represent genetic differences even more accurately.
Alignment with current market requirements
The updated indexes will be available from mid-July 2026.
With the annual index update, PIC ensures that the breeding programme continuously remains aligned with the latest science and market requirements — contributing directly to the economic success of our customers.
