Selection indices for Nellore production systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

•Economic values are widely used in the development of breeding objectives.•In Brazil the use of economic selection indexes in beef cattle is rare.•An economic value is the value of a one unit change in an individual trait, while keeping all other constant.•Economic values of six characteristics of production, reproduction, maternal and carcass quality were calculated.•The simulated production systems represent the systems used in a region of high production of beef cattle in Brazil.•This study will make it possible to implement the selection indexes in systems similar to those used here.