Plant breeding software: Chiasma™
Chiasma™ is a database designed to make planning and record-keeping easy for breeders of perennial crops and ornamental plants. It avoids the need for having a complex system of records based on paper, and the vulnerability of such records to accidental loss. Data entry is easy, and there is great flexibility in what can be recorded. Using the database will very quickly convince even traditionalists that this is a powerful tool that will simplify a time-consuming aspect of breeding. Chiasma™ is equally well suited for use by individuals or groups of breeders. For groups, it provides an easy means for sharing and using specialist knowledge.
The database has been developed for plant species which are normally grown as vegetatively-propagated varieties, and which originate from species that are normally outcrossing and hence normally heterozygous. The database readily accommodates hybrids between species. The core of Chiasma™ has been designed to follow the breeding cycle of plants (pollen, mother, crossing, resulting seed, individual progeny) and it is therefore intuitive for breeders (recent work with East Malling soft fruit breeders has resulted in a variation which will allow crossing between plant material directly, leaving out pollen). Records can be entered for each stage of the cycle. Progeny and varieties resulting from open pollination can be accommodated.
The information is managed using 4 main registers: asset (breeding material), crossing (breeding history), species (starting material, important for hybrid work), suppliers (stock history)
Price is dependent on whether the program is taken “as is” or as a starter for further modifications. Please contact us for details.
