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Glossary
Sections:
Introduction
Principles of inheritance
Genotypic variation
Other forms of heritable variation
Quantitative variation and heritability
Novel sources of genetic variation
The practice of plant breeding
Breeding methods
Plant Breeders' rights
New technologies for plant breeding
Phenotyping technologies
Phenotyping technologies: aerial photography
Aerial photography: example
Transgenics
Marker-Assisted Breeding (MAB)
DNA sequencing
Next generation sequencing
Genotyping by reduced representation
Genomic selection
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
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Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)

Association mapping identifies marker/trait correlations, and is especially useful for quantitative traits, but uses large sets of diverse germplasm rather than specifically developed populations. Genome-wide association mapping scans the entire genome for complex trait associations.

The advantage is in not needing to develop traditional mapping population, which can save a lot of time. However, the efficiency is highly dependent on the level of linkage disequilibrium and it can be ineffective if there are high levels of population structure in the germplasm. High-density genotyping is required, but this is easier now with new genomic technologies.

For a good review, see Zhu et al. (2008) The Plant Genome 1: 5-17