The use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) has enabled the development of several crop varieties for traits controlled by major genes/QTL through gene pyramiding. This approach is referred to as design approach. However, MAS is not effective for improving the traits controlled by a large number of small effect QTL. Genomic Selection (GS) has emerged as a powerful tool for improving the traits controlled by a large number of small effect QTL. GS could be defined as selection of genotyped-only breeding population individuals based on their genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) predicted using marker effects estimated using appropriate statistical model calibrated in phenotyped and genotyped training population. GS is a form of MAS without QTL mapping1. The application of GS in plant breeding are (i) isolation of elite lines for hybridization for generating variation, ii) isolation of best single cross combination from among several combinations for hybrid breeding2. GS has been successfully used in soybean for prediction and proved that GS is efficient compared to phenotypic selection3. In maize, GS has been used to predict performance of untested hybrids based on only GCA, and both GCA and SCA4.

The future of genomic selection in plant breeding depends on the cost of genotyping, development of efficient models which can accommodate multi-trait, multi-environment data and integration of double haploids, rapid generation advancement, gene editing tools5.

References:

1. BERNADO R. 2020, Breeding for quantitative traits in plants, 3rd edition Stemma press, MN, USA. 

2. ZHAO, Y., METTE, M. F., AND REIF, J. C. 2015, Genomic selection in hybrid breeding. Plant Breed., 134(1): 1-10.

 3. MATEI, G., WOYANN, L. G., MILIOLI, A. S., DE BEM OLIVEIRA, I., ZDZIARSKI, A. D., ZANELLA, R., AND BENIN, G. 2018, Genomic selection in soybean: accuracy and time gain in relation to phenotypic selection. Mol. Breed., 38: 1-13.

 4. ZHANG, A., PÉREZ-RODRÍGUEZ, P., SAN VICENTE, F., PALACIOS-ROJAS, N., DHLIWAYO, T., LIU, Y., AND ZHANG, X. 2022, Genomic prediction of the performance of hybrids and the combining abilities for line by tester trials in maize. Crop J., 10(1): 109-116. 

5. ANILKUMAR, C., SUNITHA, N. C., HARIKRISHNA, DEVATE, N. B., AND RAMESH, S. 2022, Advances in integrated genomic selection for rapid genetic gain in crop improvement: a review. Planta, 256(5): 87.