Whole-genome resequencing of a global collection of Napier grass ( <i>Cenchrus purpureus</i> ) to explore global population structure and QTL governing yield and feed quality traits
Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) is a C4 perennial grass species native to Sub-Saharan Africa and widely used as livestock feed in the region. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of 450 Napier grass individuals from 18 countries, identifying over 170 million DNA variants (SNPs and Indels). Approximately 1% of these SNPs were informative and used to assess genetic diversity within the collection. Our resequencing study provided valuable insights into the global genetic diversity of Napier grass. Additionally, a genome-wide association study on 2 independent populations identified multiple quantitative trait loci significantly associated with key agronomic traits, including biomass yield, nitrogen and cellulose content. These findings serve as a crucial resource for preserving and understanding Napier grass genetic diversity in the context of climate change. Moreover, they will support genomics-based breeding programs aimed at developing high-yielding and drought-tolerant varieties for forage and biofuel production.
Authors
- Alemayehu Teressa Negawo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8974-5321)
- William F. Anderson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7888-9642)
- José J. De Vega (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2847-5158)
- Jorge Fernando Pereira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9340-065X)
- Chris S. Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9096-9728)
- Janet Higgins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7560-2212)
- Temesgen Magule Olango (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3458-2497)
- Meki S. Muktar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4750-8031)
- Ana Luisa Sousa Azevedo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1939-0339)
- Juarez Campolina Machado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2551-2080)
- Yilikal Assefa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9712-6462)
- Jiyu Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3642-373X)
- Hailu Lire
- Yan Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0782-8674)
- Abel Teshome
- Desterio Nyamongo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0081-9545)
- Ermias Habte
Institutions
- Agricultural Research Service (US)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- Norwich Research Park (GB)
- Ministry of Agriculture (EE)
- Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KE)
- Earlham Institute (GB)
- AlmavivA (Italy) (IT)
- Centro Universitário Academia (BR)
- Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (ET)
- International Livestock Research Institute (KE)
- Lanzhou University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- G3 Genes Genomes Genetics
- Published
- 2025-05-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf113
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.50
Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Lanzhou University
- Royal Society
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais
- Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers