Selection on Expected Maximum Haploid Breeding Values Can Increase Genetic Gain in Recurrent Genomic Selection

Area of Science:

• Quantitative genetics
• Animal breeding
• Genomics

Background:

• Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers for breeding values (GEBVs).
• GEBVs maximize short-term gain but may not optimize long-term genetic progress.
• GEBVs do not incorporate marker positions or linkage phase information.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a novel selection criterion, expected maximum haploid breeding value (EMBV).
• Evaluate EMBV's performance against GEBV and other criteria (OHV, weighted GS).
• Assess EMBV's effectiveness in recurrent genomic selection under various scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Simulations were conducted to compare EMBV, GEBV, OHV, and weighted GS.
• Scenarios included varying population sizes, selection intensity, chromosome numbers, and dominance.
• Performance was evaluated based on genetic gain, diversity, and cycle efficiency.

Main Results:

• EMBV surpassed GEBV in long-term genetic gain and population diversity after approximately five selection cycles.
• EMBV demonstrated superior performance, especially under dominant gene action.
• Other criteria (OHV, weighted GS) showed potential in later cycles but had lower early-stage gains.

Conclusions:

• EMBV is a promising alternative selection criterion for recurrent genomic selection.
• EMBV enhances long-term genetic gain and maintains population diversity.
• EMBV offers advantages over GEBV, particularly in scenarios with complex genetic architectures.