High selection pressure on domestic cattle has led to an
undesirable increase in inbreeding, as well as to the
deterioration of some functional traits which are indirectly
selected. Semen stored in a cryobank may be a useful way to
redirect selection or limit the loss of genetic diversity in a
selected breed. The purpose of this study was to analyse the
efficiency of current cryobank sampling methods, by
investigating the benefits of using cryopreserved semen in a
selection scheme several generations after the semen was
collected. The theoretical impact of using cryopreserved semen
in a selection scheme of a dairy cattle breed was investigated
by simulating various scenarios involving two negatively
correlated traits and a change in genetic variability of the
breed. Our results indicate that using cryopreserved semen to
redirect selection will have an impact on negatively selected
traits only if it is combined with major changes in selection
objectives or practices. If the purpose is to increase genetic
diver