MBP (version 1.0): a software package to optimize maize breeding procedures based on doubled haploid lines.

We developed MBP (version 1.0), a software package for optimizing maize (Zea mays L.) breeding procedures based on doubled haploid lines. This software accounts for both recurrent selection and the development of hybrid parent lines. Based on quantitative genetic model calculations, MBP (version 1.0) maximizes the expected genetic gain per year as a function of various genetic parameters and operational variables under the restriction of a given annual breeding budget. Exact formulae for the prediction of the effective population size are implemented, which allows to optimize breeding procedures under limited relative annual loss of genetic variance.