General information

Breeding Methodology

Breeding is very complex with selection for numerous traits using diverse phenotyping and genotyping techniques. However, all the time the question remains, how to integrate all these things in the central breeding scheme. Therefore, we investigate since more than ten years central questions regarding the design of optimum breeding strategies. For instance, the optimum choice of testers, the optimum number of lines, testers and locations in different breeding schemes, or the optimum implementation of genomic selection in breeding schemes. We try to investigate these questions from a breeder’s point of view. For instance, we first define the available budget, logistical constraints like maximum number of lines and test locations available, the exact breeding scheme, and start afterwards our optimization procedures. On this page, our major outcomes were summarized and the major papers of optimized breeding schemes were recommended. We further offer consulting to breeders for the optimum design of their breeding programs.

How the R package can be used and major results can be seen also in two live presentations here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa5OSM9I-e2qBKBq7wQb4-w

To our knowledge, it is the only software being able to run two traits in parallel.