Tomato's wild ancestor is a genomic reservoir for plant breeders

(Boyce Thompson Institute) Today's tomatoes are larger and easier to farm than their wild ancestor, but they also are less resistant to disease and environmental stresses like drought and salty soil. Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute created a high-quality genome for the ancestor, discovering structural variants that are involved in fruit flavor, size and ripening, stress tolerance and disease resistance. Plant breeders could use the resource to develop tomatoes that taste better, are more nutritious and more resilient.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news