raditional breeding has generated significant genetic gain over time. However, this strategy falls short of yielding information on the biological processes involved. Additionally, there are great difficulties for the genetic improvement of characteristics which are measured solely in one gender and/or late in the life span of the animal. With the development of DNA chips it became possible maximizing genetic gain by reducing the generation interval and increasing the intensity of selection. The purpose of this project was to utilize the DNA chip for genotyping bulls and cows of Gir, Girolando and Guzera breeds in order to characterize the haplotype blocks and integrate the genetic merit prediction using information from the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the results of the progeny test programs and/or genetic evaluations conducted by Embrapa Dairy Cattle. The project included the participation of Embrapa South Animal Husbandry and Sheep, Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, UFJF (Federal University of Juiz de Fora), UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul), and USP-ESALQ (Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture).