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Population genetic simulation and data analysis with Plabsoft

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Abstract

Computer simulations are a useful tool to solve problems in population genetics for which no analytical solutions are available. We developed Plabsoft, a powerful and flexible software for population genetic simulation and data analysis. Various mating systems can be simulated, comprising planned crosses, random mating, partial selfing, selfing, single-seed descent, double haploids, topcrosses, and factorials. Selection can be simulated according to selection indices based on phenotypic values and/or molecular marker scores. Data analysis routines are provided to analyze simulated and experimental datasets for allele and genotype frequencies, genotypic and phenotypic values and variances, molecular genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium, and parameters to optimize marker-assisted backcrossing programs. Plabsoft has already been employed in numerous studies, we chose some of them to illustrate the functionality of the software.

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Acknowledgments

The development of Plabsoft was in part funded by the European Union Grant No. QLK5CT-2000-007221 “GENE-MINE”, KWS Saat AG, Einbeck, Germany, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Grant No. (0313126) “GABI-BRAIN”. The authors appreciate the editorial work of Dr. J. Muminović, whose suggestions considerably improved the style of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany

    Hans Peter Maurer, Albrecht E. Melchinger & Matthias Frisch

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  1. Hans Peter Maurer
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  2. Albrecht E. Melchinger
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  3. Matthias Frisch
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Correspondence to Albrecht E. Melchinger.

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Maurer, H.P., Melchinger, A.E. & Frisch, M. Population genetic simulation and data analysis with Plabsoft. Euphytica 161, 133–139 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-007-9493-4

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