Multiple-trait breeding values for parental selection in self-pollinating crops

Using breeding values in parental selection of self-pollinating crops seems to be superior to conventional selection strategies, where selection is often based on several traits which are correlated among each other. However, analysing each trait separately can bias estimates of breeding values. This study examined responses to selection for total merit indices based on breeding values resulting from single- and multiple-trait best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP). We generated data for a multi-environment trial of a "virtual" parental population in which the phenotypic value of inbred lines was influenced by additive, additive-by-additive epistatic, year, location, block and genotype-by-environment interaction effects. Two traits with heritabilities of 0.7 and 0.3 and nine different correlation scenarios between traits (estimated phenotypic correlation ranging from -0.39 to +0.36) were simulated. Gain in selection response was greater for multiple-trait than for single-trait breeding values, especially if traits were negatively correlated. For all correlation scenarios, the overall standard errors of difference of multiple-trait predictors were lower than those of single-trait analysis.