New peanut genome map increases yields for farmers
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An international team led by the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China and including researchers from Murdoch University in Australia mapped the peanut genome and used this information to breed a new peanut line.
The team sequenced DNA from 2,320 peanut varieties collected from 87 countries and regions, creating a detailed genetic map. This allowed them to identify genes controlling plant shape and pod development, including one previously undetected due to a chromosome swap.
Researchers then silenced a gene controlling plant height, creating opportunities for dwarf varieties. By crossing a naturally dwarf peanut with a high-yielding Chinese variety, they developed LuAi-1, a new line that is half the height of its parent but yields around 20% more peanuts when planted closely together. Professor Rajeev Varshney of Murdoch University explained that developing dwarf peanut varieties could improve food security, as compact plants are sturdier, easier to harvest, and can be grown on smaller plots.
This research has the potential to benefit millions of smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia who rely on peanuts as a critical source of protein and cooking oil.
