AgEtal is pleased to host Dr Zulfi Jahufer who is a leading quantitative geneticist with considerable experience with forage crops. Zulfi will be presenting an introductory workshop on his “freeware” plant breeding/statistical software:

Date:                          11 February 2020

Time:                          1:00pm for a 1:30pm start

Venue:                       Green room, QDPI, Tor Street, Toowoomba

Cost:                           No charge

What to bring:          LapTop

RSVP:                         [email protected]          Ph. 0428 198 850

DeltaGen the “one-stop-shop” for plant breeders and field scientists

Presented by Dr Zulfi Jahufer

Senior Research Scientist (Quantitative Genetics/Plant Breeding), AgResearch Grasslands Research Centre, Associate Prof Plant Breeding, Massey University, New Zealand,

Prof Plant Breeding Lanzhou University, China.

Background:

Despite the widespread use of computation in plant breeding, there are few convenient tools that bring together the necessary functions of experimental design, data analysis and breeding method optimisation in terms of genetic gain and resource factors, in a way that is readily accessible to the breeder through a single interface.

Introductory Workshop – Duration 1.5 hours

This workshop will introduce you to a new software tool “DeltaGen” based on the power of R programming language and its package Shiny. We call this a “One stop shop” that will help plant breeders with; experimental trial design, data exploration, univariate and multivariate analysis, quantitative genetic analysis, pattern analysis, index selection, and breeding method simulation. The index selection component will enhance selection and breeding for the DairyNZ forage value index. DeltaGen can also be used as a resource for teaching.

Some of the key components of DeltaGen such as experimental design, data quality assessment, ANOVA, phenotypic correlation and pattern analysis, have general applicability across disciplines’ other than plant breeding.

DeltaGen is available as freeware at, http://agrubuntu.cloudapp.net/PlantBreedingTool/

Please click on the link above and wait for a few seconds for the program to open.

The software runs more efficiently in Google Chrome.

Workshop content

Basic

             • Main operations tab commands,
             • Trial design generator,

             • The DeltaGen spreadsheet,
             • Uploading a data file,
             • Checking data quality
             • Univariate analysis and linear models,
             • Pattern analysis (within univariate model option),

             • Multivariate analysis,

             • MANOVA (additive variance/co-variance & correlation),

             • Pattern analysis for multiple traits. 

Advanced
             • Univariate analysis –Two trait combination,
             • Estimation of genetic gain (?G), cost and simulation
             • MANOVA (additive variance/co-variance & correlation),
             • Smith-Hazel selection index.

c)       Hands on analysis using practice data sets.

 For more information or to RSVP contact Ken Cunliffe.