Selection of grandparental combinations as a procedure designed to make use of dominance genetic effects

Abstract

A general procedure called selection of grandparental combinations (SGPC) is presented, which allows one to use dominance genetic effects. The method assumes that there are two types of matings: either to breed the population or to obtain commercial animals. The idea is to select grandparental combinations such that the overall genetic merit of future grandoffspring which constitute the commercial animals is maximized. Two small computer simulated examples are analysed assuming either a infinitesimal genetic model or that QTL controlling the trait are known.