When it comes to breeding decisions, every mating shapes the future of your herd.
MateSel is a powerful software tool designed to help Wagyu breeders utilise available genetics in line with their breeding objectives, enabling more informed, effective and profitable mating decisions. By combining pedigree information, Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) and $Index values, MateSel evaluates all possible mating combinations to generate optimised mating allocations and backup mating plans using your nominated sires and dams.
Whether your objective is to increase marbling, improve carcase performance, maintain fertility, manage inbreeding or target a specific $Index, MateSel helps identify the mating strategy most likely to achieve your desired outcome.
Why Use MateSel?
Unlike traditional mating planning tools, MateSel evaluates every possible mating combination against your defined breeding objectives and constraints to identify the most suitable pairings across the entire herd.
Rather than simply selecting the highest-performing animals, MateSel applies advanced genetic evaluation technologies to balance genetic gain with sustainable breeding practices, helping breeders maintain future breeding flexibility while achieving continuous whole-herd improvement.
The result is a data-driven mating plan that removes much of the guesswork from breeding decisions and provides greater confidence in the genetic direction of your herd.
Addressing Wagyu Breeding Challenges
Wagyu breeders face a unique set of challenges. The breed’s global reputation is built on exceptional marbling, eating quality and carcase performance, while genetic diversity must be carefully managed within a relatively narrow gene pool.
MateSel helps breeders address these challenges by:
- Maximising genetic gain in economically important traits such as marbling, carcase weight and eating quality
- Maintaining genetic diversity and reducing the risk of inbreeding depression
- Supporting targeted breeding strategies, such as improving fertility while maintaining carcase performance
- Integrating pedigree information, genomic testing results, WBVs and $Indexes to deliver robust, evidence-based recommendations
- Managing long-term relatedness within a herd by limiting the overuse of heavily utilised sires
By balancing genetic progress with diversity, MateSel supports sustainable genetic improvement across generations.
Practical Benefits for Breeders
Beyond genetic optimisation, MateSel provides practical support for day-to-day breeding and management decisions.
The program can help breeders:
- Select the most appropriate sires for their breeding objectives
- Determine semen straw requirements for AI programs
- Identify and allocate backup sires
- Optimise natural mating groups
- Plan joining programs more effectively
- Prioritise cows and heifers for joining, retention or culling
- Improve utilisation of available genetics across the herd
These practical outputs ensure mating recommendations are not only genetically sound but also workable within real-world breeding systems.
You Stay in Control
One of MateSel’s greatest strengths is that breeders remain firmly in control of the breeding direction.
Breeders define the objectives, priorities and constraints that matter most to their operation, whether that means targeting a specific $Index, improving particular traits, managing inbreeding levels or preserving genetic diversity.
MateSel then evaluates all available mating combinations against those requirements and delivers the optimal outcome to help achieve those goals.
Simply put: You define the objective. MateSel delivers the best possible outcome.
Accessing MateSel
MateSel is available to AWA members through the AWA Helical platform under the Submission Forms section of your Member Dashboard.
As part of the continued delivery and support of this advanced genetic optimisation service, MateSel is now available as a fee-for-service offering. The service includes analysis of your herd data and the delivery of tailored mating recommendations designed to maximise genetic gain while managing inbreeding and preserving long-term genetic diversity. VIEW THE FEE SCHEDULE
Whether you’re planning spring joinings in Australia or autumn breeding programs internationally, MateSel can help you make more informed breeding decisions and unlock the full potential of your herd.
For more information, contact the Member Services Team, [email protected] or +61 2 8880 7700