Background selection in MABC helps in:
Background selection accelerates recovery of recurrent parent genome beyond theoretical expectation using genome-wide molecular markers distributed across all chromosomes. While foreground selection tracks donor gene, background selection scans chromosomes unlinked to target using polymorphic SSR or SNP markers distinguishing recurrent and donor alleles by size or sequence. In each backcross generation, individuals carrying target gene are genotyped across background, and those with highest proportion of recurrent parent alleles are chosen as parents for next backcross. Conventional backcrossing expects 87.5% recurrent by BC2F1, but background selection can achieve greater than 95% by BC2F1, reducing required backcross generations from six to three, saving 2-3 years and resource and cost. It also simultaneously reduces linkage drag around target by selecting for double recombination near donor interval using flanking markers called recombinant selection. Thus overall genome recovery is visualized through graphical genotype, minimizing donor remnants responsible for yield penalty and quality issues and accelerating variety development. Cost benefit analysis shows MABC reduces backcross generations from six to three, saving field seasons, labor, and land resources; simulation studies indicate background selection increases recurrent genome recovery rate by 15 to 20
Ref: Frisch M et al. 1999 Crop Sci – background selection for RPG recovery; Ribaut JM MAS strategies