Methods and compositions for predicting unobserved phenotypes (PUP)

摘要

Methods for predicting unobserved phenotypes are provided. In some embodiments, the methods include (a) determining marker effects for a plurality of markers in a genotyped and phenotyped reference population with respect to a phenotype, wherein the reference population includes an F2 generation, an F3 generation, or a subsequent generation; (b) genotyping one or more plants of a predicted population with respect to the plurality of markers, wherein each of the one or more plants of the predicted population is a descendant of two parents and each parent has at least 80% genetic identity to at least one of the two parental plants employed to generate the reference population; (c) summing the marker effects determined in step (a) for each of the one or more plants of the predicted population based on the genotyping of step (b); and (d) predicting a phenotype of the one or more plants of the predicted population based on the sum of the marker effects from step (c). Also provided are methods for generating a plant with a phenotype of interest, and methods for estimating genetic similarity between populations.