The US Agriculture Department announced Wednesday that scientists have created the first genetic map of a cow, saying the achievement will help reduce animal disease and improve the nutrition of beef and dairy products.

"The bovine genome sequence will serve as a tool for agricultural researchers striving to improve health and disease management of cattle and enhance the nutritional value of beef and dairy products," an agriculture department statement said. In the statement, Agriculture Undersecretary Joseph Jen described the genome sequencing work as "a major achievement...in human and agricultural research."

He added that the genetic map has been put into a free public database for the access and use by scientists worldwide.

The department said the completed genetic map is of the Hereford breed of cattle and will be followed by work on gene sequencing of a half dozen other breeds. It is a part of a 53 million-US dollar international project to map the genetic code of different breeds of cattle. The US agriculture department contributed 11 million dollars to the program that was launched last December.

There are 3 billion base pairs in cattle DNA, about the same number as found in humans and other mammals. Scientists believe that identifying and better understanding the function of genes in cattle will help explain why animals and breed cattle are more disease resistant while using fewer antibiotics.

This will also help cattle breeders discover traits that will allow for better meat and milk products, the US agriculture department said.

The first cattle genetic map was completed by researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine's Human Genome Sequencing Center inHouston, Texas. The team was led by Richard Gibbs, who took part in the first mapping of the human genetic code in 2001. Last March, Gibbs and other researchers at the Baylor center completed the genetic mapping of a Norwegian brown rat.