Using genome-wide selection to increase genetic gain for forage yield in a perennial ryegrass breeding programme

摘要

Genetic gain in forage species has been low in comparison to other crops. Reasons include a long selection cycle, an inability to select for 'harvest index', an inability to exploit heterosis, and less investment. Indirect; selection using genome-widemarkers offers an opportunity to accelerate genetic gain for forage yield in I perennial species by enabling multiple cycles of genomic selection (GS) to be performed in the same time it takes to perform a single cycle of conventional selection. However, in order to take advantage of GS in forage breeding we must overcome some of the challenges to its implementation and modify genotypic selection schemes to take full advantage of GS. In this paper we present results evaluating GS models for first cut silage in a tetraploid perennial ryegrass [Lolium perenne L.) population. Predictive abilities of between 0.19 and 0.23 for first cut silage were achieved. As multiple cycles of GS can be completed in the time it takes to complete a single cycle of conventional genotypic selection this translates to over a three-fold greater breeding gain with GS.