We report a map of 4.97 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the chickpea from whole-genome resequencing of 429 lines sampled from 45 countries. We identified 122 candidate regions with 204 genes under selection during chickpea breeding. Our data suggest the Eastern Mediterranean as the primary center of origin and migration route of chickpea from the Mediterranean/Fertile Crescent to Central Asia, and probably in parallel from Central Asia to East Africa (Ethiopia) and South Asia (India). Genome-wide association studies identified 262 markers and several candidate genes for 13 traits. Our study establishes a foundation for large-scale characterization of germplasm and population genomics, and a resource for trait dissection, accelerating genetic gains in future chickpea breeding.

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Resequencing of 429 chickpea accessions from 45 countries provides insights into genome diversity, domestication and agronomic traits.

Understanding the quantitative genetics of crops has been and will continue to be central to maintaining and improving global food security. We outline four stages that plant breeding either has al...

On the Road to Breeding 4.0: Unraveling the Good, the Bad, and the Boring of Crop Quantitative Genomics.

Amelioration of salt induced toxicity in pearl millet by seed priming with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs): The oxidative damage, antioxidant enzymes and ions uptake are major determinants of salt tolerant capacity.

Super-Pangenome by Integrating the Wild Side of a Species for Accelerated Crop Improvement

Exploring and Exploiting Pan-genomics for Crop Improvement.

Pearl millet [Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] is a staple food for more than 90 million farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, India and South Asia. We report the ~1.79 Gb draft whole genome sequence of reference genotype Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5, which contains an estimated 38,579 genes. We highlight the substantial enrichment for wax biosynthesis genes, which may contribute to heat and drought tolerance in this crop. We resequenced and analyzed 994 pearl millet lines, enabling insights into population structure, genetic diversity and domestication. We use these resequencing data to establish marker trait associations for genomic selection, to define heterotic pools, and to predict hybrid performance. We believe that these resources should empower researchers and breeders to improve this important staple crop.

https://hal.univ-angers.fr/hal-02516604/document

Om Parkash Yadav

Papers

Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in arid environments