ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the selection procedure chosen is to select within existing breeds and breed crosses that complement each other. Selection is a time-proven method for establishing and improving breeds of livestock and plant varieties. The cattle of India and Africa developed primarily by natural selection under conditions quite different from the environment of the European breeds. Cattle are much less sensitive to and are more adaptive to cold temperatures. The relationship of cattle to the associated environmental limitations of the higher-temperature regions presents a great challenge because cattle are much more tolerant of cold than of heat. The development of types, breeds, and strains of cattle that perform at a satisfactory level has stimulated expansion of a viable beef industry in the southern region. The environmental complex of the warmer climates affects reproduction and production. Santa Gertrudis have the adaptability of the Brahman to hot climates while retaining the beef qualities and milking ability of the Shorthorn.
