A diallel cross is a mating scheme used by plant and animal breeders, as well as geneticists, to investigate the genetic underpinnings of quantitative traits. [1] [2]
In a full diallel, all parents are crossed to make hybrids in all possible combinations. Variations include half diallels with and without parents, omitting reciprocal crosses. [3] Full diallels require twice as many crosses and entries in experiments, but allow for testing for maternal and paternal effects. [4] If such "reciprocal" effects are assumed to be negligible, then a half diallel without reciprocals can be effective.
Common analysis methods utilize general linear models to identify heterotic groups, [5] estimate general or specific combining ability, [6] [7] interactions with testing environments and years, or estimates of additive, dominant, and epistatic genetic effects [8] [9] and genetic correlations. [10]
There are four main types of diallel mating design:
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