title: Maximizing the potential of multi-parental crop populations.
abstract: Most agriculturally significant crop traits are quantitatively inherited which limits the ease and efficiency of trait dissection. Multi-parent populations overcome the limitations of traditional trait mapping and offer new potential to accurately define the genetic basis of complex crop traits. The increasing popularity and use of nested association mapping (NAM) and multi-parent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) populations raises questions about the optimal design and allocation of resources in their creation. In this paper we review strategies for the creation of multi-parent populations and describe two complementaryin silicostudies addressing the design and construction of NAM and MAGIC populations. The first simulates the selection of diverse founder parents and the second the influence of multi-parent crossing schemes (and number of founders) on haplotype creation and diversity. We present and apply two open software resources to simulate alternate strategies for the development of multi-parent populations.
authors.affiliation: The John Bingham Laboratory, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, United Kingdom; Department of Plant Sciences, The University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Olufunmilayo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ladejobi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, The University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elderfield
authors.affiliation: The John Bingham Laboratory, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Research Centre, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R Chris
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gaynor
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Research Centre, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, The University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Julian M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hibberd
authors.affiliation: The John Bingham Laboratory, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: The John Bingham Laboratory, NIAB, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0LE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bentley
keywords: MAGIC; Mapping; NAM; Trait dissection; Wheat