# The transmission ability in a population of elite tetraploid potatoes

## TL;DR

This study examines how traits are inherited in elite tetraploid potatoes and finds that genetic and genomic data can improve breeding decisions.

## Contribution

The study introduces a genomic prediction approach to improve breeding value prediction in tetraploid potatoes.

## Key findings

- Cytoplasmic genome type affects clone fertility and trait phenotypes, influencing parent selection.
- Additive genetic contributions are significant across all traits, showing potential for genetic improvement.
- Genomic and pedigree data in ssGBLUP improve prediction accuracy of breeding values.

## Abstract

Crop potato, Solanum tuberosum L., has great genetic improvement potential, but vegetative propagation, tetrasomic inheritance, and inbreeding depression have limited genetic gain in the elite gene pool. To elucidate the transmission ability of breeding material in the current elite gene pool, we estimated the additive genetic variance and specific combining abilities among 18 parents for 10 key agronomic traits and evaluated the impact of genotypic information in capturing trait inheritance patterns using genomic prediction. Analysis of 5013 clones from an F1 population of an 18‐parent incomplete diallel cross showed that within the population, some traits had greater additive genetic effects, while others had greater nonadditive genetic contributions. There were clear differences in the breeding values between the evaluated parents. The effect of cytoplasmic genome type on phenotype was assessed and compared to its impact on fertility. These statistics were used to discuss the parental potential of the diallel parents. Including genotyping‐by‐sequencing information (available for 15% of the population) in a single‐step approach improved the prediction accuracy of genetic breeding values, and, surprisingly, the greatest effect was observed for the genomic prediction of high‐heritability traits. Increased prediction accuracy across multiple traits is crucial to support the breeder's decisions when selecting parents. The phenotypic and genetic correlations between traits were determined using pairwise bivariate models. Significant genetic correlations between several traits were identified, indicating that single‐trait selection in breeding programs will result in the indirect selection of correlated traits—possibly with opposing additive contributions to different breeding goal traits by the same progenitor.

Cytoplasmic genome type can impact clone fertility and some trait phenotypes and should influence parent selection.All traits had significant additive genetic contributions, indicating potential for genetic gain through breeding.It was trait dependent whether additive versus nonadditive genetic effects were more important.Prediction accuracy of parent estimated breeding values improves with the incorporation of genomic and pedigree information in ssGBLUP.Significant pairwise trait genetic correlations indicate extensive indirect trait selection during breeding.

Cytoplasmic genome type can impact clone fertility and some trait phenotypes and should influence parent selection.

All traits had significant additive genetic contributions, indicating potential for genetic gain through breeding.

It was trait dependent whether additive versus nonadditive genetic effects were more important.

Prediction accuracy of parent estimated breeding values improves with the incorporation of genomic and pedigree information in ssGBLUP.

Significant pairwise trait genetic correlations indicate extensive indirect trait selection during breeding.