Paternity Test for Forage Yield Improvement in Timothy Polycross Breeding

Paternal identity knowledge can enhance selection gains in polycross breeding of forage grasses. This study assessed paternal parents selected through timothy (Phleum pratense L.) breeding without paternal information in Japan. Paternal assignment was conducted based on a simple exclusion way using 27 genomic-SSR markers. General combining ability (GCA) for forage yield was examined based on polycross progeny tests. Results showed an unbalanced number of indirectly selected paternal parent and inferior paternal parent in GCA for forage yield. These results indicate that paternal selection can give continuous improvement avoiding inbreeding depression and that it can enhance selection gains for forage yields in timothy polycross breeding.