ARS | Publication request: Population genetics of genomics-based crop improvement methods

Submitted to: Trends in Genetics
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: February 28, 2011
Publication Date: March 15, 2011
Citation: Hamblin, M., Buckler Iv, E.S., Jannink, J. 2011. Population genetics of genomics-based crop improvement methods. Trends in Genetics. 27:98-106.

Technical Abstract: Many researchers in genome-wide associations studies (GWAS) in humans are concluding that, even with very large sample sizes and high marker densities, most of the genetic basis of complex traits may remain unexplained. At the same time, recent research in plant GWAS is showing much greater success with fewer resources. Both GWAS and genomic selection (GS), a method for prediction of phenotypes by use of genomewide marker data, are receiving considerable attention among plant breeders. In this review, we explore how differences in population genetic histories, as well as past selection on traits of interest, have produced trait architectures and patterns of linkage disequilibrium that frequently differ dramatically between domesticated plants and humans, making detection of QTL effects in crops more rewarding and less costly than in humans.