Benchmark Genetics demonstrates breakthrough improvement in Atlantic Salmon resistance to cardiomyopathy syndrome.
Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS), caused by the Piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), remains one of the most economically damaging viral diseases in global Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture. CMS outbreaks often occur late in the seawater grow‑out phase, killing large market‑size fish and threatening the sustainability of salmon farming. With no commercial vaccine available and environmental exposure nearly impossible to avoid, breeding for genetic resistance has become one of the most promising long‑term solutions.
Genomic Selection Delivers Measurable Gains in One Generation
A new study from Benchmark Genetics provides compelling evidence that genomic selection (GS) can dramatically improve CMS resistance – both in challenge tests and real commercial field conditions. This cross‑generational analysis shows that targeted GS not only reduces viral load but also increases survival during actual CMS outbreaks.
The research demonstrates that targeted genomic selection yields rapid and substantial improvements:
- Offspring from GS‑selected parents exhibited markedly reduced viral loads following experimental infection.
- During a natural CMS outbreak, survival increased from 73.8% in mid‑ranked families to 87.5% in highly selected families – a 13.7‑percentage‑point improvement.
“These results clearly demonstrate that genomic selection is a powerful and reliable tool for improving disease resilience in farmed salmon,” highlighted Ingunn Thorland, co‑author of the study and researcher at Benchmark Genetics. “The improvement was visible not only under controlled challenge testing but also in real farm conditions during a natural outbreak.”
Heritable Resistance Supports Long‑Term Disease Control
The study confirms that PMCV resistance has a strong genetic foundation:
- Heritability of resistance: 0.50 in the parent generation and 0.59 in the offspring
- Heritability of field survival: 0.30
- Genetic correlation between challenge‑test viral load and real‑world survival: 0.54
These results show that measuring viral loads in controlled challenge experiments is a reliable predictor of survival under commercial farming conditions.
SalmoROBUST® – Enhanced Protection Against CMS and IPN
Benchmark Genetics’ findings align strongly with the performance of SalmoROBUST®, one of the company’s leading commercial strains designed for extra high protection against CMS, resistance to IPN, and extra strong growth performance.
SalmoROBUST® integrates the same genomic‑selection principles demonstrated in this study and is already delivering superior robustness and productivity on farms.
This product exemplifies how research and commercial breeding come together to deliver healthier, stronger salmon for the global aquaculture industry.
A Milestone for Sustainable Salmon Farming
CMS remains a major threat to salmon health, especially as environmental exposure is difficult to control and no commercial vaccines exist. This study demonstrates that selective breeding through GS is one of the most effective, long‑term strategies to protect farm performance, fish welfare, and reliability of supply. These results underscore the value of genomic tools not only for enhancing
robustness against disease but also for improving our understanding of the genetic basis of CMS resistance in farmed Atlantic salmon.
“Improving natural resistance is one of the most sustainable ways to protect fish health and reduce losses,” the Benchmark Genetics research team stated. “This study shows that genomic selection is already delivering these benefits.”
Read the full scientific paper: “From Challenge Tests to Field Survival: Cross‑Generational Genomic Selection Improves Cardiomyopathy Syndrome Resistance in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)” here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5830445.
