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Scientists from India, Australia, China figured out pea’s genetic code

Scientists from India, Australia, China figured out pea's genetic code

Scientists from India, Australia, and China figured out pea’s genetic code.

Genetics is the study of how traits are passed on from one generation to the next. Now, a group of scientists from India, Australia, and China have figured out the pea’s genetic code in a study that could have a big impact on making crops that can handle changes in the weather.

Researchers have found out how peas have changed over time. Peas have been a good source of protein, starch, fiber, and minerals for people for hundreds of years. People may think that two peas in a pod are the same, but they have found that 118 wild types of peas have different traits.

Also Read | Protecting plant genetic resources is a shared responsibility: Tomar.

The project for peas

Rajeev Varshney, Director of the Food Futures Institute at Murdoch University and one of the study’s project leaders, said, ‘This study helps us learn more about peas and the genes that can help them adapt to climate change and help us make crops that are more resistant to climate change.’

Part of the study is based on the work of the Chinese Agricultural Academy of Sciences and the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Plant breeders can use this information to make new pea varieties that are better in ways like being able to handle drought and cold. Genomic selection makes it easier to combine genes quickly and speeds up the breeding cycle.

‘It bridges the gap between previous basic models and modern genomics to help research and crop improvement for the pea,’ he said.

In a paper published in Nature Genetics, the researchers wrote, ‘The crop has been lacking a high-quality reference genome and genetic transformation system for a long time.’ As a result, it has lost its dominance and become an orphan crop in the modern genomics era.

Also Read | SOPA urged govt to prevent illegal imports of genetically modified (GM) soyabean.

Peas are an important crop for farmers because they are hardy and can grow even in bad weather. They also give farmers reliable yields in a wide range of environments and soil types. Because they can fix nitrogen, they also play an important role in the environment.

‘Despite its important role in advancing plant genetics, its domestication process is still a mystery, and the genetic diversity of cultivated and wild peas within Pisum has not yet been fully uncovered,’ said Varshney.

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