Download or read book Resource Allocation and Genomic Prediction in Maize (Zea Mays L.) Hybrid Breeding and a Genetic Analysis of Pericarp Pigmentation written by Dylan Schoemaker and published by . This book was released on 2024 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important crop species sold as a hybrid and is a model system for both genetics and plant breeding research. The maize breeding process involves identification of new inbred lines, followed by the identification and production of commercial hybrids from crosses of inbreds. Genomic selection and evaluation of hybrid phenotypes are important components of this process. In this dissertation, I use a large multi-environment trial dataset to explore the impact of resource allocation when developing genomic prediction models. Resource-efficient training sets can be developed using three to five environments and a single tester to predict both plant height and grain yield. A second study in my dissertation focused on prediction of hybrid combinations and the importance of general and specific combining ability in identifying new hybrids. The results demonstrated that hybrids with the greatest grain yield result from parents with a high general combining ability, but hybrids with the greatest performance may not have the largest specific combining ability deviation. Therefore, modeling only additive genetic relationships can lead to an accurate genomic prediction model during early-stage testing in a hybrid maize breeding program. The third study in my dissertation was a genetic analysis of pericarp pigmentation in progenies of commercial dent germplasm. Allelic variation at the well-studied pericarp color1 (P1) locus was significantly associated with pericarp pigmentation. The results from these projects provide novel insight into the design of hybrid breeding programs and the allocation of resources when implementing genomic selection. The research also provides candidate genes for geneticists or maize breeders to aid in the development of inbred lines with novel pericarp hues and elite agronomic characteristics.