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Biplot Analysis of Host-by-Pathogen Data

Effective breeding for disease resistance relies on a thorough understanding of host-by-pathogen relations. Achieving such understanding can be difficult and challenging, particularly for large data sets with complex host genotype-by-pathogen strain interactions. This paper presents a biplot approach that facilitates visual analysis of host-by-pathogen data. A biplot displays both host genotypes and pathogen isolates in a single scatter plot; each genotype or isolate is displayed as a point defined by its scores on the first two principal components derived from subjecting genotype- or strain-centered data to singular value decomposition. From a biplot, clusters of host genotypes and clusters of pathogen strains can be simultaneously visualized. Moreover, the basis for genotype and strain classifications, i.e., interactions between individual genotypes and strains, can be visualized at the same time. A biplot based on genotype-centered data and that based on strain-centered data are appropriate for visual evaluation of susceptibility/resistance of genotypes and virulence/avirulence of strains, respectively. Biplot analysis of genotype-by-strain is illustrated with published response scores of 13 barley line groups to 8 net blotch isolate groups.