A simplified model for plant breeding

Abstract

: This paper introduces a simplified deterministic model for plant breeding and an efficient algorithm to solve it. The model abstracts away much of the complexity of plant breeding to a version that can be solved in polynomial time. While this model only considers single-point recombinations and assumes all desired crossings are successful, it provides a lower bound on the number of generations required to achieve the target. The algorithm presented exploits runs of favourable alleles on producible gametes to guide its decision-making, which highlights the importance of considering segments rather than individual alleles. This paper suggests that seg-ments will be instrumental in the development of efficient algorithms for more comprehensive plant breeding models. However, future research should explore extending the model to account for factors such as polyploid plants and resource constraints that breeders face in reality. Overall, this paper serves as the first in a series of models exploring dedicated solving techniques applicable to plant breeding problems.