NRGene, the Israeli startup that has mapped the genome for bread, pasta and wild emmer wheat, said that it has now mapped the genome for the most common cotton breed and the sweet potato, giving researchers critical insights for developing healthier plants with higher yields.
As reported in NoCamels:
NRGene said it partnered with Genosys Inc. (TGS Singapore), a distributor of genomics technologies in China, to assemble the genome makeup of Upland Cotton, the most common cotton used for clothing, in less than seven weeks. A similar effort used to take years and cost many millions of dollars, the company said.
Upland Cotton makes up 90 percent of the global cotton grown around the world and is used to produce most of the world’s clothing, the company said.
The genomic makeup of Gossypium barbadense, also known as extra-long staple cotton, which is used in luxury cotton fabric, was also mapped, the company said in a statement.
“Cotton is one of the world’s most important non-food agricultural crops,” said NRGene CEO Gil Ronen in a statement. “By delivering critical insights into its makeup, we’re helping researchers develop healthier plants with higher yields that require fewer resources.”
Seed developers worldwide spend billions of dollars and years to develop new, more nutritious and resilient varieties of seeds. These in turn enable farmers to grow bigger quantities of more nutritious and more resilient crops. This is crucial for a world that will have to feed and dress an expected 9.7 billion people by 2050.
Cotton is one of Australia’s largest rural export earners, and the crop underpins the viability of over 100 rural communities across NSW and Queensland.
Israel Trade and Economic Commission in Sydney, Australia 