Selection index: economic weights for maximum simultaneous genetic gain

Selection indices that maximize the correlation between an individual organism's index score and its breeding value frequently require a priori known "economic" weights before the optimum phenotypic weights can be estimated. The long generation intervals and economic uncertainty that surround forest tree breeding can make the choice of weights arbitrary. In this paper an algorithm is introduced for finding "economic" weights that will ensure maximum simultaneous progress in all index traits. At the outset the traits are assumed to be of equal preference. The solutions are functions of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a quadratic form of the additive genetic and phenotypic covariance matrices. Examples of applications in tree breeding emphasize the practical aspects of the method.