Biometrics Applied to Soybean Breeding

Soybean has been an important source of protein for either food or feed; breeding program for this species has turn to a competitive business between seed companies, where the application of the right statistical method in data analysis means to lead the market. The understanding of biometrics and its use along all phases in the breeding process dictates the direction and the genetic gain that will be achieved; then, knowing the right statistical method to apply is crucial to meet the stockholders’ demand. In the beginning of a breeding program, genotypes that have a good performance should be identified by genetic diversity studies and used to compose the base population, diallel crosses may be used to determine the best combinations among them, the segregant population must be right conduced, and statistical methods that fit in the adopted experimental design ought to be used so the breeder can make an accurate selection, describing the line as broad or specific adaptation and what level of stability it shows, releasing reliable information about the lines and developing elite cultivars for the farmers. This chapter shows a great number of biometrics techniques used in plant breeding as well their application in soybean breeding.