ALTERNATE RECURRENT SELECTION OF S-1 AND HALF-SIB FAMILIES FOR INTRAPOPULATION IMPROVEMENT

Breeding methods capable of producing higher genetic gains than those available need to be developed to accelerate the rate of genetic progress. For intrapopulation improvement two new methods of recurrent selection are presented and compared for expected genetic gain with other methods. These involve alternate cycles of S1 selection and modified ear-to-row selection and S1 selection and half-sib selection. The new methods have greater expected genetic gains per year (a year having an evaluation season and an off-season for breeding nursery) than mass, S1, modified S1, full-sib, modified full-sib, half-sib, modified ear-to-row and alternate modified S1-half sib selections. The superiority of the new methods was at least 30% except in comparison with modified S1 and modified full-sib selection methods.