Prediction of Rates of Inbreeding in Populations Selected on Best Linear Unbiased Prediction of Breeding Value

Corresponding author: Piter Bijma, Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, Marijkeweg 40, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands., piter.bijma{at}alg.vf.wau.nl (E-mail)

Communicating editor: R. G. SHAW

Predictions for the rate of inbreeding (F) in populations with discrete generations undergoing selection on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) of breeding value were developed. Predictions were based on the concept of long-term genetic contributions using a recently established relationship between expected contributions and rates of inbreeding and a known procedure for predicting expected contributions. Expected contributions of individuals were predicted using a linear model, u_i(x) = + ßs_i, where s_i denotes the selective advantage as a deviation from the contemporaries, which was the sum of the breeding values of the individual and the breeding values of its mates. The accuracy of predictions was evaluated for a wide range of population and genetic parameters. Accurate predictions were obtained for populations of 5–20 sires. For 20–80 sires, systematic underprediction of on average 11% was found, which was shown to be related to the goodness of fit of the linear model. Using simulation, it was shown that a quadratic model would give accurate predictions for those schemes. Furthermore, it was shown that, contrary to random selection, F less than halved when the number of parents was doubled and that in specific cases F may increase with the number of dams.

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