Genetic variance of early height growth and expected gains from selection in a Minnesota population of black spruce

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Dana Nelson ◽  
Carl A. Mohn
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Index Selection ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Individual Selection ◽  
Selection Methods ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Seed Orchards

A genetic improvement project for black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) was initiated in Minnesota in 1974, with an objective of improving the inherent growth rate of the local population. This study reports some field results from the initial phase of the project. Study objectives were to (i) estimate genetic and environmental variance components of early (age 10 years) tree height, (ii) estimate expected genetic gains from various selection methods in three seedling seed orchards and a clonal seed orchard, and (iii) evaluate the effect that these selection methods have on inbreeding levels in the rogued seedling orchards. Additive genetic variance accounted for 15 to 22% of the phenotypic variance in three wind-pollinated family tests and 10% of the phenotypic variance across the tests. Expected gains from combined-index (family and individual) selection in the family test - seed orchards (selection of 22 to 27%) ranged from 4.6 to 6.1%. Family + within-family selection and individual selection were 18 and 32% less efficient, respectively. Index selection resulted in the highest estimated levels of inbreeding in the rogued orchards. However, the largest difference between the various selection methods resulted in a difference in the average inbreeding coefficient of less than 0.15%. Based on this small difference, index selection could be used in roguing similarly designed seedling seed orchards with minimal risk of elevated inbreeding levels.

The incorporation of fertility indices in genetic improvement programmes

2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.E. Pryce ◽  
R.F. Veerkamp
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Selection Index ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Genetic Progress ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Days Open

AbstractIn recent years there has been considerable genetic progress in milk production. Yet, increases in yield have been accompanied by an apparent lengthening of calving intervals, days open, days to first heat and a decline in conception rates, which appears to be both at the genetic and phenotypic level. Fertility has a high relative economic value compared to production traits such as protein, making it attractive to include in a breeding programme. To do this there needs to be genetic variance in fertility. Measures of fertility calculated from service dates have a small genetic compared to phenotypic variance, hence heritability estimates are small, typically less than 5%, although coefficients of genetic variance are comparable to those of production traits. Heritabilities of commencement of luteal activity determined using progesterone profiles are generally higher, and have been reported as being from 0.16 to 0.28, which could be because of a more precise quantification of genetic variance, as management influences such as delaying insemination and heat detection rates are excluded. However, it might not be the use of progesterone profiles alone, as days to first heat observed by farm staff has a heritability of 0.15. The most efficient way to breed for improved fertility is to construct a selection index using the genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates of all traits of interest in addition to their respective economic values. Index traits for fertility could include measures such as calving interval, days open, days to first service, or days to first heat but there may also be alternative measures. Examples include traits related to energy balance, such as live weight and condition score (change), both of which have higher heritabilities than fertility measures and have genetic correlations of sufficient magnitude to make genetic progress by using them feasible. To redress the balance between fertility and production, some countries already publish genetic evaluations of fertility including: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

scholarly journals Assessing Nurses’ Knowledge of Noise in the Intensive Care Unit: An Educational Intervention Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Fortes
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

Noise in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been studied for over thirty years, but it continues to be a significant problem and a top complaint among patients. Staff members are now reporting detrimental health effects from excessive noise. One of the significant factors of inadequate noise control in the ICU is that nurses have insufficient awareness regarding the hospital noise issue and its negative impact on health status. The level of knowledge of clinical staff on the topic of noise is not known. A quality improvement project to explore noise in the ICU could facilitate better understanding of the phenomenon and formulation of new ways to continue to reduce noise at a community hospital in Massachusetts. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate nurses’ knowledge of the potentially harmful effects of noise on patients as well as on nurses, to identify opportunities for improvement of the environment, and to conduct an educational intervention aimed at reducing noise in the intensive care unit. The methodology for this project included a pre-test, followed by an educational session, and completion of a post-test. The participants included registered nurse staff members in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Critical Care Unit (CCU). Exclusion criteria included staff members who are not registered nurses. The project posed minimal risk. No identifying or biographical data was collected, and results included analysis of aggregate data. Descriptive statistics were used to assist with analysis. Results were disseminated to the staff of the ICU and CCU, posted on a bulletin board in the critical care area, presented as a poster presentation at the Spring RIC MSN Symposium, and available as a manuscript on the RIC Digital Commons.

scholarly journals Polygenic Architecture of Human Neuroanatomical Diversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 2307-2320
Author(s):  
Anne Biton ◽  
Nicolas Traut ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Poline ◽  
Benjamin S Aribisala ◽  
Mark E Bastin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Environmental Correlations ◽  
Genomic Architecture ◽  
Snp Data ◽  
Environmental Causes ◽  
The Uk

Abstract We analyzed the genomic architecture of neuroanatomical diversity using magnetic resonance imaging and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from >26 000 individuals from the UK Biobank project and 5 other projects that had previously participated in the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) consortium. Our results confirm the polygenic architecture of neuroanatomical diversity, with SNPs capturing from 40% to 54% of regional brain volume variance. Chromosomal length correlated with the amount of phenotypic variance captured, r ~ 0.64 on average, suggesting that at a global scale causal variants are homogeneously distributed across the genome. At a local scale, SNPs within genes (~51%) captured ~1.5 times more genetic variance than the rest, and SNPs with low minor allele frequency (MAF) captured less variance than the rest: the 40% of SNPs with MAF <5% captured <one fourth of the genetic variance. We also observed extensive pleiotropy across regions, with an average genetic correlation of rG ~ 0.45. Genetic correlations were similar to phenotypic and environmental correlations; however, genetic correlations were often larger than phenotypic correlations for the left/right volumes of the same region. The heritability of differences in left/right volumes was generally not statistically significant, suggesting an important influence of environmental causes in the variability of brain asymmetry. Our code is available athttps://github.com/neuroanatomy/genomic-architecture.

scholarly journals Mapping QTL for Grain Yield under Moisture Stress Environments in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-133
Author(s):  
Supriyo CHAKRABORTY ◽  
Sheng-Chu WANG ◽  
Zhao-Bang ZENG
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Interval Mapping ◽  
Chromosome 1 ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Common Qtl ◽  
Rice Chromosomes ◽  
Stress Environments

Polygenes (QTLs) for grain yield were mapped on rice chromosomes under two moisture stress environments by multiple interval mapping (MIM) method in a double haploid (DH) population derived from a cross between a deep-rooted japonica and a shallow-rooted indica genotype. In environment 1 (E1), the MIM detected a total of six QTLs for grain yield on chromosomes-two QTLs on chromosome 1 and four QTLs on chromosome 5 along with one additive x additive epistasis. But in environment 2 (E2), the MIM detected five QTLs for grain yield on two chromosomes-three QTLs on chromosome 1 and two QTLs on chromosome 7. One common QTL on chromosome 1 flanked by the markers RG109-ME1014 was detected in both the environments, although the other detected QTLs differed between environments. The magnitude of QTL effect, percent genetic variance and percent phenotypic variance explained by each QTL was also estimated in both environments. The common QTL explained about 26.05 and 13.93% of genetic variance in E1 and E2, respectively. Estimated broad sense heritability for grain yield was 48.01 in E1 and 25.27% in E2.

scholarly journals Genetic variation and natural selection on blue tit body condition in different environments

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. MERILÄ ◽  
R. PRZYBYLO ◽  
B. C. SHELDON
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
The Body ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Body Condition Index ◽  
Blue Tit ◽  
Feeding Regime ◽  
The Poor

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that different forms of environmental stress influence the expression of genetic variance in quantitative traits and, consequently, their evolvability. We investigated the causal components of phenotypic variance and natural selection on the body condition index (a trait often related to fitness in wild bird populations) of blue tit (Parus caeruleus) nestlings under contrasting environmental conditions. In three different study years, nestlings grown under a poor feeding regime attained lower body condition than their full-sibs grown under a good feeding regime. Genetic influences on condition were large and significant in both feeding regimes, and in all three study years. However, although estimates of additive genetic variance were consistently higher in the poor than in the good environment, heritability estimates for body condition index were very similar in both environments due to higher levels of environmental variance in the poor environment. Evidence for weak genotype×environment interactions was obtained, but these contributed little to variance in nestling condition. Directional natural selection on fledging condition of nestlings was detected, and there were no indications of year or environmental effects on the form and intensity of selection observed, in a sample of 3659 nestlings over four years. However, selection on fledging condition was very weak (standardized selection gradient, β=0·027±0·016 SE), suggesting that, in the current population, the large additive genetic component to fledging condition is not particularly surprising. The results of these analyses are contrasted with those obtained for other populations and species with similar life-histories.

What contributes to differences in phenotypic variation between generations?

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 200-200
Author(s):  
A Wolc ◽  
I White ◽  
M Lisowski ◽  
W G Hill
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Variance Components ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Base Population ◽  
Substantial Heterogeneity ◽  
Over Time

Under the animal model genetic variance is estimated in the base population taking into account inbreeding and is otherwise assumed to remain unchanged over generations. In practice, phenotypic variation differs randomly or systematically over time. Intuitively, such changes would be attributed mostly to environmental effects, and so lower heritability would be expected when variation is inflated. Studies in dairy cattle show contradictory results (e.g. Boldman and Freeman, 1990). Laying hens are kept under environmental conditions intended to be constant, but show substantial heterogeneity in phenotypic variance (VP) over generations. The aim was to investigate how variance components change.

Effects of stem injections of gibberellin A4/7 and paclobutrazol on sex expression and the within-crown distribution of seed and pollen cones in black spruce (Picea mariana)

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald F Smith
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Sex Expression ◽  
Bud Burst ◽  
Seed Orchards ◽  
Adjunct Treatment ◽  
Cone Production ◽  
Pollen Cone ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Vegetative Bud

Two experiments in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedling seed orchards were established to determine if a stem injection of paclobutrazol (2RS,3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) could be used as an adjunct treatment to increase the efficacy of stem injections of gibberellins A4 and A7 (GA4/7). Trees received a single injection of GA4/7 and (or) paclobutrazol shortly after vegetative bud burst. There was a dose-dependent but nonlinear increase in the production of cones of both sexes in response to stem injections of either GA4/7 or paclobutrazol. The optimum rate of GA4/7 for stimulating pollen-cone production was 3.3 mg, whereas the most seed cones were induced on trees receiving 11 mg. The sex ratio (number of seed cones/number of pollen cones) increased with the rate of GA4/7 applied. Injecting paclobutrazol also promoted cones of both sexes equally, resulting in sex ratios comparable with that of the control trees. Treatments did not affect the total numbers of buds (vegetative, latent, and cone) produced. Seed- and pollen-cone buds occurred in positions that would have otherwise developed vegetatively and become latent, respectively. The mechanisms whereby paclobutrazol could affect flowering in black spruce are discussed. The use of paclobutrazol as an adjunct to GA4/7 treatments in black spruce seedling seed orchards appears effective, practical, and safe.

scholarly journals Effects on phenotypic variability of directional selection arising through genetic differences in residual variability

2004 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM G. HILL ◽  
XU-SHENG ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Additive Genetic Variance ◽  
Directional Selection ◽  
Frequency Change ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Additive Effects ◽  
Genetic Covariance ◽  
Mean And Variance

In standard models of quantitative traits, genotypes are assumed to differ in mean but not variance of the trait. Here we consider directional selection for a quantitative trait for which genotypes also confer differences in variability, viewed either as differences in residual phenotypic variance when individual loci are concerned or as differences in environmental variability when the whole genome is considered. At an individual locus with additive effects, the selective value of the increasing allele is given by ia/σ+½ixb/σ2, where i is the selection intensity, x is the standardized truncation point, σ2 is the phenotypic variance, and a/σ and b/σ2 are the standardized differences in mean and variance respectively between genotypes at the locus. Assuming additive effects on mean and variance across loci, the response to selection on phenotype in mean is iσAm2/σ+½ixcovAmv/σ2 and in variance is icovAmv/σ+½ixσ2Av/σ2, where σAm2 is the (usual) additive genetic variance of effects of genes on the mean, σ2Av is the corresponding additive genetic variance of their effects on the variance, and covAmv is the additive genetic covariance of their effects. Changes in variance also have to be corrected for any changes due to gene frequency change and for the Bulmer effect, and relevant formulae are given. It is shown that effects on variance are likely to be greatest when selection is intense and when selection is on individual phenotype or within family deviation rather than on family mean performance. The evidence for and implications of such variability in variance are discussed.

scholarly journals Selection using assortative mating in Drosophila melanogaster

1963 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenorchy McBride ◽  
Alan Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Random Mating ◽  
Selection Response ◽  
Index Selection ◽  
Individual Selection ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Selected Lines ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Rate Of Response

The effectiveness of the assortative mating of selected individuals in increasing selection response was tested, using abdominal chaeta score in Drosophila melanogaster. Three paired comparisons were made. In two sets of lines with 10 matings per line, individual score was used for selection and as the basis for the assortative mating. In the third set with 20 matings per line an index of individual and family score, designed to maximize rate of response, was used.The intensity of selection was one in ten in all lines. Flies were raised in vials and individual pedigrees were kept.In all comparisons, assortative mating gave a greater selection response, this being partly due to a greater realized heritability and partly to a greater selection differential. The effect of the assortative mating was largest in the index selected lines. With random mating, the effectiveness of the index selection itself when compared to individual selection was in accordance with theory.In two comparisons, assortative mating increased the rate of inbreeding. The highest rate of inbreeding was observed with index selection and assortative mating, even though there were here twice as many matings as in the individually selected lines.In the individual selection lines, the effective population size was 7·4 pairs of parents, compared to the actual value of 10 and in the index lines 7·0 compared to 20. In the former, only one-half of the matings in the initial generations made any permanent contributions to the line and in the index lines only one-third. Within generations and lines, there was a significant positive correlation between the mean score of a family and its inbreeding coefficient.It is suggested that assortative mating is a method of increasing selection response in some situations. Its particular characteristic is that it becomes more powerful when the heritability is high whereas all of the other environmental aids to individual selection are more effective when the heritability is low.

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