A better peanut on your plate; new findings reveal potential for global peanut crop improvement

Global population growth has led to rapidly increasing food demand. A new international study, published in Nature Genetics, has found a way to accelerate crop improvements, specifically in peanuts.Murdoch University Food Futures Institute's Center for Crop & Food Innovation Director Professor Rajeev Varshney FRS said the significant findings of the collaborative research pave the way to improving global food security."The peanut is an important crop in developing countries like Asia and Africa and holds great potential in combating malnutrition due to its rich content of OA-rich oil, protein, dietary fiber, and various vitamins," Professor Varshney said."Our study, undertaken collaboratively with researchers across the world, aims to enhance crop improvement efforts."China is one of the world's largest peanut producers and consumers. We performed Genome-Wide Association Studies for 20 component traits and created a genome-wide variation map, suggesting that peanuts might have ...