Breeding scheme design using quantitative genetics

Location: CIMMYT HQ, Texcoco, Mexico

This training is a professional development course designed by the Excellence in Breeding (EiB) Platform to increase the skillset of plant breeders to design breeding schemes. Across the public and private sector there is a gap on how to design breeding schemes and instead breeding schemes are normally inherited from one breeder to the other. EiB’s Module 2 and collaborators from seed industry have addressed this issue by developing and making this training available.

Course objectives: This course develops the skills and abilities of breeding personnel to enable them to independently design their breeding scheme to achieve the maximum genetic gains. The course will help participants understand or be able to do the following:

• Define market segments, product profiles
• Decide how to design the different crossing, evaluation, and selection decisions
• Refresh quantitative genetics concepts
• Manage tools to manage their breeding pipelines

Participants: Participants have been selected via EiB partnerships – selection is now closed. The course is targeted toward breeders currently leading a plant breeding program who would appreciate a review of the academic background in quantitative genetics theory and practice to modify the crossing, evaluation and selection decisions.

Trainers: EiB’s Breeding scheme optimization team, along with product management team: Agnes Mbugua, Eduardo Covarrubias, Dorcus Gemenet, Christian Werner, Marlee Labroo

Thank you: We thank Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other EiB partners for their support in delivering this work.

More information: contact Eduardo Covarrubias, g.covarrubias (a) cgiar.org

Resources:

• EiB toolbox: Breeding scheme optimization tools
• Video course: Basics of genomic selection
• Agenda (coming soon)