Camelina is a relatively new oilseed gaining interest for its potential use in food, livestock feed and renewable fuel markets. A newly published research paper provides insights into the camelina genome that could give breeders new tools to develop varieties with improved performance, stronger adaptability and traits that matter at the farm level.
"Camelina is an ancient crop, but there is a lot of interest in it now to develop it as a modern crop. However, it has very low genetic diversity, and we wanted to increase that," said Dr. Raju Chaudhary (Ph.D.), a research associate at GIFS and one of the lead authors of the new paper published in Nature Communications.
For producers, that genetic diversity is important because it can support the development of camelina varieties that are better suited to local growing conditions, more consistent in the field and better positioned to fit into existing crop rotations. For industry, it can help build the foundation for stronger supply chains and expanded markets for camelina-based products.
Click here to see more...