Draft genome sequence of Kei apple, an underutilized African tree crop

To address food and nutrition security in the face of burgeoning global populations and erratic climatic conditions there is a need to include nutrient dense, climatic resilient but neglected indigenous fruit trees in agrifood systems. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Kei Apple, <i>Dovya...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kariba, R., Waweru, Bernice, Njaci, Isaac, Banda, L., Mwangi, J.W., Harimanantsoa, A., Muthemba, S., Featherstone, J., Hendre, P., Jamnadass, Ramni H., Van Deynze, A., Domelevo Entfellner, Jean-Baka, Shorinola, Oluwaseyi
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Nature Research 2025
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173567
Description
Summary:To address food and nutrition security in the face of burgeoning global populations and erratic climatic conditions there is a need to include nutrient dense, climatic resilient but neglected indigenous fruit trees in agrifood systems. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Kei Apple, <i>Dovyalis afra</i>, a neglected indigenous African fruit tree with untapped potential to contribute to nutrient security and improved livelihoods. Our long-read-based genome assembly comprises 440 Mbp sequence across 1190 contigs with a N50 and L50 of 13.3 Mbp and 11, respectively. We also annotated the genome and identified 27,449 protein-coding genes. Our genome assembly provides a valuable resource for unlocking the food security and nutraceutical potential of Kei apple.