Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for breeding hybrid plants, comprising the steps of producing or providing essentially homozygous donor lines from a heterozygous starting population; genetically characterizing each donor line by means of molecular markers to obtain a genetic profile for each line; allowing the plants of the donor lines to intercross to obtain F1 hybrid progeny seed; sowing the F1 hybrid progeny seed while recording the maternal origin for each seed; phenotypically identifying superior F1 hybrid individuals among the progeny; determining the paternity of the superior F1 hybrid individuals for identification of their corresponding pollen donor lines; and crossing the thus identified pollen donor lines with female lines to obtain the hybrid plants.