The mechanism of pedigree system used in smallgrain cereals reduce genetic variability and recombination capacity due to the limited number of parent used in crosses. The increase in recombination through recurrent selection by maximizing number of crosses may be a solution for this problem. The use of male sterility may overcome the difficult of performing artificial crosses, supporting recurrent selection as a viable and important tool for autogamous crops breeding.
population breeding; male sterility; cross polinization