Backcross Populations and Near Isogenic Lines

The development of near isogenic lines (NILs) through repeated backcrossing of genetically distinct parental lines is rather straightforward. Nonetheless, depending on the available resources and the purpose of the lines to be generated, several choices can be made to guide the design of such inbred populations. Here we outline the implications of these choices and provide recommendations for the efficient and proper development of NILs for a number of common scenarios.