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Schlagwörter:
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Zusammenfassung:
The African Plant Genomics Group collaborates with scientists on the African continent to advance genomics resource development for indigenous opportunity crops. One such crop, horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus), is a nutritious subsistence crop cultivated by smallholder farmers using agroecological practices. The phenotypic diversity of horned melon and the genetic bases underlying this diversity remain largely unexplored. We will present our efforts to establish horned melon as a model system for studying diversity in non-legume, non-cereal indigenous African crops, share our findings on the phenotypic diversity of southern African horned melon accessions, and discuss these observations in light of known genomic determinants of important agronomic traits. We will also discuss our approach to collaborative research with scientists in Africa, addressing the ethical, social and legal considerations involved. We propose that horned melon as a model crop offers opportunity for investigation of the genetic bases of important agricultural traits, and can also serve as a medium for building impactful partnerships for African plant genomics.
