Oil Palm Genome Unzipped: What we found in the genes

< style="text-align: justify;">Escalating global demand for food and fuel and the increasing ecological footprint of agricultural crops has put the spotlight on the need for sustainable solutions. As the most productive oil crop, the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is an ideal candidate for feeding the world and meeting the demand for fuel. However, its long breeding cycle and need for large breeding trials are major hurdles to crop improvement. The recent release of the 1.8 Gb E. guineensis genome sequence and transcriptome data by MPOB provide a new backdrop for improvement of the oil palm. MPOB houses more than 100,000 wild germplasm accessions and these represent an invaluable resource for genomics-guided breeding.  The oil palm sequence facilitated the discovery of the SHELL gene which controls oil yield, and paves the way for improved productivity and sustainability. It has also set the pace for further discoveries of economic importance such as the fruit colour gene.