Elite populations for conifer breeding and gene conservation

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire G. Williams ◽  
J.L. Hamrick

Elite populations managed for short-term gain have received increasing attention as advanced-generation breeding strategies have taken shape for forest tree species. They are prevalent for two reasons: (1) their short-term gains provide justification for the rising costs of recurrent forest tree breeding and (2) the advent of control-pollinated seed production has reduced the requirement for a large number of unrelated selections. This paper addresses the concept of an elite population, its potential for compressed generation intervals, its predicted long-term selection response, as well as the concomitant risks of severe inbreeding depression and loss of genetic diversity.

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (4) ◽  
pp. 1961-1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Wei ◽  
Armando Caballero ◽  
William G Hill

Formulae were derived to predict genetic response under various selection schemes assuming an infinitesimal model. Account was taken of genetic drift, gametic (linkage) disequilibrium (Bulmer effect), inbreeding depression, common environmental variance, and both initial segregating variance within families (σAW02) and mutational (σM2) variance. The cumulative response to selection until generation t(CRt) can be approximated asCRt≈R0[t−β(1−σAW∞2σAW02)t24Ne]−Dt2Ne,where Ne is the effective population size, σAW∞2=NeσM2 is the genetic variance within families at the steady state (or one-half the genic variance, which is unaffected by selection), and D is the inbreeding depression per unit of inbreeding. R  0 is the selection response at generation 0 assuming preselection so that the linkage disequilibrium effect has stabilized. β is the derivative of the logarithm of the asymptotic response with respect to the logarithm of the within-family genetic variance, i.e., their relative rate of change. R  0 is the major determinant of the short term selection response, but σM2, Ne and β are also important for the long term. A selection method of high accuracy using family information gives a small Ne and will lead to a larger response in the short term and a smaller response in the long term, utilizing mutation less efficiently.


Genetics ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-142
Author(s):  
E J Eisen

ABSTRACT Long-term selection for increased 12-day litter weight in two replicate lines (W2, W3) of mice resulted in an apparent selection limit at about 17 generations. Quadratic polynomial and exponential models were fitted to the data in order to estimate the plateaued response and half-life of the selection process. Using the polynomial results, the half-life estimates were 4.5 and 8.6 generations for W2 and W3, respectively. The plateaued responses were 5.1 and 5.8 g which, when expressed in phenotypic standard deviation units, became 1.1 and 1.3. The exponential model provides similar estimates. A negative association between 12-day litter weight and fitness was not considered to be an adequate explanation for the plateau since there was no decrease in fertility of the selected lines. Evidence that exhaustion of genetic variability was not the cause of the plateau came from the immediate response to reverse selection. It was proposed that the plateau may be due to a negative genetic correlation between direct and maternal genetic effects, which would be expected to occur after many generations of selection. There were positive correlated responses in both replicates for adult body weight, which was in agreement with the positive genetic correlation between preweaning and postweaning body weight. The expected positive correlated response for number born was realized in only one of the replicates.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Kerr ◽  
M J Dieters ◽  
B Tier ◽  
H S Dungey

Computer simulation is the only realistic method of evaluating alternative methods of breeding hybrid forest trees. Empirical tests would be very long term and expensive. This paper describes the development of a simulation program, called XSIM, which generates two different but closely related outcrossing tree species. The genetic correlation between performance in each parental species and performance in the resulting hybrid can be set, in addition to the amounts and types of variances in each parental species. The breeding strategies available for testing include conventional reciprocal recurrent selection, reciprocal recurrent selection with forward selection, recurrent selection within each pure species, and the creation of a synthetic species. XSIM allows the strategies to be compared using the same base populations, equivalent selection intensities, and comparable mating patterns. Innovative best linear unbiased prediction procedures allow all ancestral and current progeny generation data, from both parental species and the hybrid, to be analysed together. The theoretical basis for the simulation is given, and genetic and statistical models are described. In summary, XSIM allows rigorous comparisons of the strategies in terms of genetic gain per time and provides useful insight into hybrid forest tree breeding.


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