The CSIR has developed software packages to assist the breeder.
Matgen 6.1 | Gassist 4.0 | Treebase
- Matgen 6.1
Data in tree breeding are rarely balanced. Although balanced trials may be planned, in reality the breeding data from balanced trials are usually unbalanced due to the biological nature and duration of trials. Some of the causes of unbalanced trials are deaths, hail damage, disease and drought losses, defect formation, top breakage and poor seed germination.
MATGEN 6.1 is a multi-trait, multiple site memory and user-friendly BLP (best linear prediction) software package for unbalanced index selection in tree breeding. It is capable of forward, backward and clonal selection for a single generation.
The sources of information for selection index can be economic weights, different traits, information from different sites and information from relatives. Variance-covariance information is used to solve these indices and make the predictions.
Clones or families with low numbers of individuals in the sample will tend to be selected in preference to more reliable family estimates. An appropriate BLP such as that of MATGEN optimally adjusts for this.
BLP can also optimally account for differences in error variances such as those that arise when information is obtained from different sites. MATGEN version 6.1 can optimally use the different generic parameters derived from sites under consideration. The facility for using information from multiple sites means that individual site heritabilities can be used to assign weights to the traits accordingly at each site. The genetic parameters can be assessed directly from Harvey's LSMLMW (1990) listing file, or can be entered interactively. These values need only be entered once for analysis.
The software is for sale at R3 000 excl VAT per single user licence.
Contact: Vuyisile Hobololo, Tel:. +27 12 841 4232
- Gassist 4.0
The tree breeder needs a deterministic tool to make comparisons and decide on alternative strategies. G-Assist is a software program that calculates and compares the gains of different tree breeding strategies, population sizes, heritabilities, family sizes and intensities within and between family selections.
G-assist prompts the user to enter all the information it requires: input parameters describing the base population and the selection strategy to be followed in both the breeding and production population, as well as information about the progeny test.
Gain predictions are based on breeding for a single trait. A total of six breeding and 11 production population scenarios are presented as options. Gains can be calculated either for a single parameter or for a set of parameters, one of which is to be run over a range of values.
The results of a range of values for a particular parameter are presented as a graph, and a list is given of the gains, effective breeding population sizes and inbreeding coefficients of the last iteration.
Download demo version
The software is for sale at R3 000 excl VAT per single user licence.
Contact: Vuyisile Hobololo, Tel: +27 12 841 4232
- Treebase
TreeBase is a web-based tool for knowledge management in tree breeding programmes. It currently manages pedigree, trial, orchard, crossing programme and germplasm information with additional value adding features such as links to report and data results relating to specific genotypes and trials, spatial maps on trials and orchards, automatic calculation of fecundiity data related to crossing programmes (as examples).Our intention is to provide ongoing development of a user-friendly tree breeding system for our partners and ourselves, which is cost-effective, efficient and value-adding.
We are happy to share the system with our partners, and encourage them to give us more ideas and feedback as to how to make this exciting facility even better! More information |
