An international consortium has sequenced the entiregenome of durum wheat- the source of semolina for pasta, a food staple for the world’s population, according to an article published in Nature Genetics.
The team has also discovered how to significantly reduce cadmium levels in durum grain, ensuring the safety and nutritional value of the grain through selective breeding.
«This ground-breaking work will lead to new standards for durum breeding and safety of durum-derived products, paving the way for production of durum wheat varieties better adapted to climate challenges, with higher yields, enhanced nutritional quality, and improved sustainability», said Luigi Cattivelli of Italy’s Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA).
The genome sequence will contributeto global food safety and security
The durum wheat genome is four times as large as the human genome. The team has for the first time assembled the complete genome of the high-quality Svevo variety. «We can now examine the genes, their order and structure to assemble a blueprint that provides an opportunity to understand how the genes work and communicate with one another», said wheat breeder Curtis Pozniak of the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
to be continued…
