Abstract

In small populations, the reference population size is the most limiting factor for implementation of genomic selection Therefore, alternative strategies must be considered to increase accuracy of genomic selection in small populations. One strategy to increase the size of reference population in small population breeds is to blend individuals of two or more breeds with similar breeding objectives and recorded traits to create a multi-breed reference population. For transboundary breeds with similar breeding objectives, international genomic evaluation could be increase reliability of predictions. Another strategy for breeds with crossbred data is to use this data in the reference population for genomic evaluation. However, when the mentioned strategies are not applicable to small population breeds, a single-step genomic method that integrates all available phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic information is recommended.

Keywords:Small population; Genomic breeding value; Reference population