Target Matings per Group Options

When setting the target number of matings per Group x Group combination, MateSel provides three approaches to achieving these target matings:

Type	Name	Description
Strict (Default)	MateSel must deliver the exact target number of matings I set	Use this option when you have an exact number of matings required for each Male Group x Female Group combination. Fastest computational option.
Flexible	Let MateSel optimise Group x Group mating numbers	Use this option if you want MateSel to optimise the matings numbers for each Male Group x Female Group combination based on your trait/marker/inbreeding/etc targets.
Balance	MateSel must come close to the target number of matings I set	Use this option to guide MateSel on the target numbers you want for each Male Group x Female Group combination, however, allow MateSel to optimise the mating numbers according to a weighting you choose.

By default, only the “Strict” option is enabled. To enable the other options please follow these steps:

1. Navigate to “Settings”
2. Find the “Advanced Grouping” section
3. Select the options you want to enable under the “Which target matings per group options should be presented?” setting
4. Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page

Strict Grouping Option

This option tells MateSel that it MUST deliver the number of target matings that you specify for each allowed Male x Female group combination.

In the example above, we can see:

• Elite Males are allowed to be mated with Elite Females and Standard Females
• Standard Males are allowed to be mated with Standard Females only
• From the 43 Elite Females, we only need 20 matings (so there is selection occurring)
• All 65 Standard Females will be mated, 35 from Elite Males and 30 from Standard Males
• MateSel must provide an optimised mating list with these exact target matings (20, 35, 30)

You might use this option if the “Balance Grouping Option” described below results in slow performance and/or you see messages such as “Instances of: Target not achievable due to Minuse constraints”.

Technical Note

Using the Strict option, the Frontier is built with the specified target matings enforced

Warning

Mating targets will not generally be met if one or more male groups have the Natural Mating Males option enabled.

Also, if you specify numbers of matings per group combination that cannot be attained for the dataset you are using, some sort of error will occur, such as “k/=MatingsNew Male” and you might consider using the “Balance Grouping Option” described below.

Flexible Grouping Option

This option is used when you want MateSel to have more control over the number of matings for each allowed Male x Female group combination. Why would you want this? In short, a more optimised mating solution based on your set targets.

When using this option, there are two approaches to guide MateSel on the number of matings per female group:

Name	Description
Let me specify the total number of matings per female Group	Use this when you know the number of matings per female group you need. Set a single target mating value for each female group. MateSel will them optimise the matings across all allowed male groups.
Let MateSel optimise the number of matings per female Group	Use this option when you don’t have constraints on female mating numbers so female groups compete with each other for selection. You just specify a single target matings value for all groups. MateSel can then distribute matings to each female group based on your targets (gain, inbreeding, traits, markers) alone. Another way to think about this is that you know you need X matings across Y groups, and you only want to specify X and let MateSel decide the number of matings distributed across the female groups.

Balance Grouping Option

This option works like the “Strict” option but it isn’t strict on the target numbers. Instead, you use an Emphasis to get MateSel to work towards your target matings as much as possible, but with some flexibility to deviate if it penalises other set targets. Use this option to guide MateSel on the target numbers you want for each Male Group x Female Group combination, however, allow MateSel to optimise the mating numbers according to a weighting you choose.

By default, we recommend starting with a “Moderate” Emphasis. If you are not happy with the target matings result you need to update this Emphasis and try a new run. If you find you need a high Emphasis to get the result you want, then it might be more appropriate to use the Strict Group Option mentioned above.

Technical Note

Using the Balance option, the Frontier is built without any Emphasis placed on the specified target matings

Tip

If you use the Balance option with an “Extreme” Emphasis/Weighting, you will get a similar or same outcome as using the “Strict” option. Using a lower Emphasis might give you slightly different matings per group, however, it gives your other trait/marker/inbreeding/index targets a better opportunity to be met

Which option should I use?

If you are dogmatic about the numbers that you want, use the Strict option for its much more fast and robust algorithm convergence. The possible downside is that by deviating a bit from these target numbers, you might achieve useful extra performance for other targets (i.e. by using the Balance approach).

It is recommended that you try the different grouping options above to see what works best for your breeding program. Use the Compare Feature to see the impact each option has on your overall genetic gain and diversity. This is probably better than just inspecting the graphical results for the two runs, as the Frontiers differ between the two runs: the Strict option shows your desires on the Frontier, but the Balance option is not (grouping numbers run free, unweighted, during the building of the Frontier). If the Balance option is not much better for other targets, then probably use the Strict option.

Committed Matings Note

All target mating figures mentioned here relate to “new” matings only. These are in addition to any Committed Matings already made or otherwise committed to.