BTI scientists create new genomic resource for improving tomatoes

Tomato breeders have traditionally emphasized production traits, like larger and more fruits per plant. As a result, some quality traits — like flavor and disease resistance — were lost. Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute and colleagues published a tomato pan-genome in Nature Genetics, establishing a resource that promises to help breeders develop more flavorful and sustainable varieties. The researchers found 4,873 new genes and identified a rare allele that can make tomatoes tastier.
Source: EurekaAlert, https://www.eurekalert.org