Parent Selection through Progeny

Testing

(Determination of Breeding Values)

Concepts of GCA AND SCA
 Reading Assignment

Components of Genetic Variance

Concept of progeny testing was developed
by Vilmorin, a french scientist
Worked on sugar beet plants
starting with high sugar containing plants,
the resultant progeny were in these
categories
High sugar content
Mixture of high sugar and low sugar
Low sugar content
Concluded that parental worth should be
based on progeny performance
Progeny Testing
General combining ability:
the average or overall performance of a line in
hybrid combinations; represents additive genetic
variance

Specific combining ability:

the performance of a line as compared to other
lines when crossed with the same pollen donor
(specific pollen source); represents
non-additive genetic variance
Specific Combining Ability –the average
performance of the progeny of a cross between two
specific parents

Female Male parents Progeny

parents 1 2 3 4 means
5 9 17 12 14 13

6 10 16 12 10 12
7 11 20 10 15 14
8 14 15 6 17 13
Progeny 11 17 10 14 Test Means 13
means
For parent 2 (male)
GCA = mean of parent 2 – test mean
= 17 – 13 = +4
parent 2 has general ability (GCA2) for volume of
+4
Breeding value of an individual is defined as twice its
general combining ability.
Breeding value (or genetic merit) of an individual as a
genetic parent is the sum of gene effects of the individual
as measured by the performance of its progeny.
Statistically, it is measured as twice the deviation of the
offspring from the population mean (since the individual
only contributes half of the alleles to its offspring). This
estimate measures the ability of an individual to
produce superior offspring. This is the part of an
individual’s genotypic value that is due to independent
gene effects, and hence can be transmitted. The mean
breeding value becomes zero with random mating. This
estimate is of importance to breeders because it
assists them in selecting the best parents to use in
their programs
SCA – it always refer to specific cross and never to a
particular parent by itself.
3 steps in calculating the SCA :
e.g Cross between parents 3 and 6 ( a cross value of
12)
Calculate the GCA for both parents
GCA3= -3; GCA6 = -1
Calculate the anticipated value of the cross
(Summation of test mean and the GCA for both
parents)
Anticipated value = test mean + GCA3 + GCA6
= 13 + (-3) + (-1) = 9
Subtract the value calculated in (2) from observed
value of the cross.
SCA3x6 = observed value – anticipated value
= 12 – 9 = +3
This means that cross 3 x 6 is performing 3 volume
unit better than would be expected based on the
GCA’s of parents 3 and 6.
THANKS