UNTRM Studies the Chloroplastidial Genome of Cucurbits Collected in the Amazon

As part of conservation and improvement actions for phytogenetic resources, the Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza National University of Amazonas (UNTRM), through the Research, Innovation, and Development Institute for the Agricultural and Agroindustrial Sector (IIDAA), is developing a study to characterize the chloroplast genome of native cucurbits collected in the seven provinces of the Amazonas region. The study covers 49 accessions of Cucurbita moschata (cushés) and Cucurbita ficifolia (chiclayos), traditional species with an important role in local food and agriculture. The characterization of the chloroplast genome will establish genetic relationships, evaluate diversity, and facilitate its use in participatory genetic improvement programs, as well as in the selection of varieties adapted to the Amazonian environment. The genomes are being sequenced using PromethION technology and processed on the ...