Crop populations derived from experimental crosses enable the genetic dissection of complex traits and support modern plant breeding. Among these, multi-parent populations now play a central role. By mixing and recombining the genomes of multiple founders, multi-parent populations combine many commonly sought beneficial properties of genetic mapping populations. For example, they have high power and resolution for mapping quantitative trait loci, high genetic diversity and minimal population structure. Many multi-parent populations have been constructed in crop species, and their inbred germplasm and associated phenotypic and genotypic data serve as enduring resources. Their utility has grown from being a tool for mapping quantitative trait loci to a means of providing germplasm for breeding programmes. Genomics approaches, including de novo genome assemblies and gene annotations for the population founders, have allowed the imputation of rich sequence information into the descendent population, expanding the breadth of research and breeding applications of multi-parent populations. Here, we report recent successes from crop multi-parent populations in crops. We also propose an ideal genotypic, phenotypic and germplasm ‘package’ that multi-parent populations should feature to optimise their use as powerful community resources for crop research, development and breeding.

中文翻译：

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作物中的多亲本群体：将基因组学、遗传图谱与育种相结合的工具箱

来自实验杂交的作物群体能够对复杂性状进行遗传解析并支持现代植物育种。其中，多亲人群现在发挥着核心作用。通过混合和重组多个创始人的基因组，多亲代群体结合了遗传图谱群体的许多普遍寻求的有益特性。例如，它们在绘制数量性状基因座时具有高功效和分辨率、高遗传多样性和最小的种群结构。作物物种中已经构建了许多多亲本群体，其近交种质和相关的表型和基因型数据是持久的资源。它们的用途已经从绘制数量性状基因座的工具发展成为为育种计划提供种质的手段。基因组学方法，包括从头基因组组装和种群创建者的基因注释，可以将丰富的序列信息归入后代种群，扩大了多亲种群的研究和育种应用的广度。在这里，我们报告了农作物多亲本群体最近在农作物中取得的成功。我们还提出了一个理想的基因型、表型和种质“包”，多亲本群体应以优化其利用为农作物研究、开发和育种的强大社区资源为特色。