African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6863

Review

Is quantitative genetics still necessary in this age of genomics?

Rukundo Placide
  • Rukundo Placide
  • Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), P. O. Box 5016, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Google Scholar
Karangwa Patrick
  • Karangwa Patrick
  • Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), P. O. Box 5016, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Google Scholar
Uzayisenga Bellancille
  • Uzayisenga Bellancille
  • Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), P. O. Box 5016, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Google Scholar


  •  Received: 21 September 2017
  •  Accepted: 17 November 2017
  •  Published: 14 June 2018

Abstract

Quantitative genetics and genomics are two different disciplines that have separate evolutions. The quantitative genetics has enormous applications and has contributed a lot in four main distinct fields of plant breeding, animal breeding, evolutionary genetics and human genetics. This field is based on study of inheritance patterns and their underlying mechanisms using biometrical or statistical methods. The analysis of genome aims to identify genes of interest and understand gene expression profile and gene function. This analysis exploits different molecular biology approaches. This review discusses the quantitative genetics and molecular approaches in studies of quantitative traits. It also tries to find out the connection and complementation between approaches of quantitative genetics and molecular biology in the studies of quantitative traits. The information gathered in this review will assist breeders and geneticists in their regular research works.

Key words: Gene, genome, genotype, phenotype, trait.