Fonio millet genome unlocks African orphan crop diversity for agriculture in a changing climate

Michael Abrouk, Hanin Ibrahim Ahmed, Philippe Cubry, Denisa Šimoníková, Stéphane Cauet, Yveline Pailles, Jan Bettgenhaeuser, Liubov Gapa, Nora Scarcelli, Marie Couderc, Leila Zekraoui, Nagarajan Kathiresan, Jana Čížková, Eva Hřibová, Jaroslav Doležel, Sandrine Arribat, Hélène Bergès, Jan J. Wieringa, Mathieu Gueye, Ndjido A. Kane, Christian Leclerc, Sandrine Causse, Sylvie Vancoppenolle, Claire Billot, Thomas Wicker, Yves Vigouroux, Adeline Barnaud () and Simon G. Krattinger ()
Additional contact information
Michael Abrouk: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Hanin Ibrahim Ahmed: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Philippe Cubry: IRD
Denisa Šimoníková: Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research
Stéphane Cauet: INRAE
Yveline Pailles: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Jan Bettgenhaeuser: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Liubov Gapa: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Nora Scarcelli: IRD
Marie Couderc: IRD
Leila Zekraoui: IRD
Nagarajan Kathiresan: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Jana Čížková: Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research
Eva Hřibová: Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research
Jaroslav Doležel: Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research
Sandrine Arribat: INRAE
Hélène Bergès: INRAE
Jan J. Wieringa: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Mathieu Gueye: IFAN Ch. A. Diop/UCAD
Ndjido A. Kane: Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute
Christian Leclerc: UMR AGAP
Sandrine Causse: UMR AGAP
Sylvie Vancoppenolle: UMR AGAP
Claire Billot: UMR AGAP
Thomas Wicker: University of Zurich
Yves Vigouroux: IRD
Adeline Barnaud: IRD
Simon G. Krattinger: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Sustainable food production in the context of climate change necessitates diversification of agriculture and a more efficient utilization of plant genetic resources. Fonio millet (Digitaria exilis) is an orphan African cereal crop with a great potential for dryland agriculture. Here, we establish high-quality genomic resources to facilitate fonio improvement through molecular breeding. These include a chromosome-scale reference assembly and deep re-sequencing of 183 cultivated and wild Digitaria accessions, enabling insights into genetic diversity, population structure, and domestication. Fonio diversity is shaped by climatic, geographic, and ethnolinguistic factors. Two genes associated with seed size and shattering showed signatures of selection. Most known domestication genes from other cereal models however have not experienced strong selection in fonio, providing direct targets to rapidly improve this crop for agriculture in hot and dry environments.

Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18329-4

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18329-4

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