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Draft genome of groundnut progenitor provides new insights for cultivar improvement

June 1, 2016

A team of 51 scientists from nine institutes in China, India, USA and Australia have decoded the genome of the ancestor of the groundnut, the diploid A-genome (Arachis duranensis). This achievement is expected significantly enhance the breeding of more resilient and productive varieties of the crop.

The breakthrough also provides insights into oil biosynthesis and allergens associated with groundnut, and could lead to the development of higher-yielding, aflatoxin-free, allegene-free and nutrionally rich groundnut varieties. It will also enhance understanding of geocarpy in groundnut, a rare means of plant reproduction in which the plant produce diaspores within the soil.

The findings have been published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal (PNAS). A 4-minute video on the same is also available on YouTube.

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