Data from: Exploration of genetic architecture through sib-ship reconstruction in advanced breeding population of Eucalyptus nitens

Accurate inference of relatedness between individuals in breeding
population contributes to the precision of genetic parameter estimates,
effectiveness of inbreeding management and the amount of genetic progress
delivered from breeding programs. Pedigree reconstruction has been proven
to be an efficient tool to correct pedigree errors and recover hidden
relatedness in open pollinated progeny tests but the method can be limited
by the lack of parental genotypes and the high proportion of alien pollen
from outside the breeding population. Our study investigates the
efficiency of sib-ship reconstruction in an advanced breeding population
of Eucalyptus nitens with only partially tracked pedigree. The sib-ship
reconstruction allowed the identification of selfs (4% of the sample) and
the exploration of their potential effect on inbreeding depression in the
traits studied. We detected signs of inbreeding depression in diameter at
breast height and growth strain while no indications were observed in wood
density, wood stiffness and tangential air-dry shrinkage. After the
application of a corrected sib-ship relationship matrix, additive genetic
variance and heritability were observed to increase where signs of
inbreeding depression were initially detected. Conversely, the same
genetic parameters for traits that appeared to be free of inbreeding
depression decreased in size. It therefore appeared that greater genetic
variance may be due, at least in part, to contributions from inbreeding in
these studied populations rather than a removal of inbreeding as is
traditionally thought.