Domestication, Diversity, and Distribution History of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae), a Priority Underutilized Staple Crop

Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis (Moraceae), is a long-lived tree and a nutritious staple starch crop that is a major component of many traditional agroforestry systems in its native Oceania. Breadfruit has been introduced throughout much of the moist tropics, and while it has the potential to contribute to increased food security in tropical regions, globally it remains an underutilized crop. Wild relatives of breadfruit have been identified based on morphology and molecular tools, and hundreds of cultivars have been documented. Here we present SNP and microsatellite data from breadfruit wild relatives and cultivars from Oceania and beyond to understand the domestication history, diversity, and human mediated distribution of this valuable crop.