13.9: Balance between progress and genetic diversity

As we have seen in the chapter on evaluating genetic diversity, there are a number of conflicts of interest between maintaining genetic diversity and achieving genetic response. The most obvious is the selection intensity. A higher selection intensity means selecting relatively few animals for breeding. Few animals for breeding results in higher rate of inbreeding, and thus loss of genetic diversity. Related to that: using the best animal(s) more intensely than other animals may result in larger genetic gain, but is disastrous for maintaining genetic diversity in the future. Every breeding program needs to be aware of both sides of the coin. There is no ready-to-go solution for all, specific situations will require specific ways to balance genetic progress and genetic diversity.