The fruits of the earth enter the genome to become the next big berry crop



[ad_1]

A small fruit known as "Groundcherry", sometimes also spelled as two words groundcherry, have benefited from the beneficial edition of genes. Unlike strawberries and other popular berry crops, the aromas are relatively unknown and hard to find. However, this may change in the future due to genetic modifications that help eliminate some of the wild side of the crop.

Earth cherries, sometimes also known as strawberry tomatoes, are small and grow in the wilds of Central and South America. The fruit is about the size of a marble when it is ready to be eaten, described as having a tangy or acidic taste with a complex taste "tropical" and sometimes vanilla.

The plant is wild and not a major crop, but has some advantages over traditional berries: it is drought tolerant, making it an attractive option for farmers who suffer crop losses due to high temperatures. warmer and less rain.

The land cherry is currently a wild crop, but a recently published study reveals successful work using gene editing and genomics to add favorable traits, including changes in plant shape and size of the plant. fruit, as well as the number of flowers produced by the plant. .

These technologies avoid traditional breeding techniques, thus considerably accelerating the time needed to "tame" the wild plant and make it a viable viable berry crop. The team of researchers tackled some of the plant's problems, such as the shape of the grass and the small size of the fruits, to make it a viable growing option.

Additional work can be done, especially to improve the color and flavor of the fruit. It remains to be seen if farmers will ever produce cherries in large quantities.

SOURCE: EurekAlert

[ad_2]
Source link