The new digital technologies multiply the sources of information and generate a considerable amount of "data". These stem from classic measurements made on animals (weight, body composition, laying, reproduction, etc.), but also new tools such as monitoring (RFID and other captors allowing for data to be collected continuously over a long period) or medical imaging. Fine phenotyping supplements genomics, with the production of dozens if not hundreds of thousands of pieces of information for each individual.

Big Data allows for the exploitation of this important flow of information from various origins thanks to powerful algorithms. In the long run, they produce selection indexes enabling the choice of the best individuals in a balanced and sustainable model.

Benefits

• The collection and interpretation of all the information falling in the Big Data allow new features such as the animals' behaviour and the robustness criteria to be taken into account simultaneously.
• The heterogeneous data considered (individual and environmental performances) makes it easier to understand the complexity of the genetic potential and therefore to provide more performances to breeders.