The new peanut genome sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in the breeding of more productive, sustainable and more resilient peanut varieties.
This tool is a potential game changer for the industry as it will allow more rapid development of peanuts with traits that match changing consumer demands, offering the promise of new varieties, through natural plant breeding, in five years instead of the current 10-15 years.
Furthermore, many of the healthy traits of peanuts can be improved to increase them as needed; more and better protein, oil chemistry that matches olive oil, higher levels of antioxidants, higher levels of certain vitamins and changes in the shape and sizes of the peanut itself.
As an added bonus, the development of peanuts that are naturally disease-resistant will not only reduce the use of pesticides in developing countries, but also present the potential for yields in developing countries to be increased tenfold, helping to address hunger and malnourishment in many impoverished nations.
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