RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF A CHARACTER IN SELECTION

Abstract

A procedure is proposed to evaluate the relative importance of a trait when used in the construction of a certain selection index. The criterion to use is the increase in expected genetic gain that is obtained by including
such character in the index. The evaluation of such an increase has a value from a theoretical point of view when determining the role of a given trait in genetic advance and a value from a practical point of view when determining the inclusion or not of said variable in a selection index. According to the criterion proposed in this work, the relative importance of each of five characters involved in five selection indices constructed for a population of sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.) was calculated based on the evaluation of 138 half-sib families. carried out in Venice, Dgo., in 1985. In all cases, the seed yield variable turned out to be the most important.