<b>Characterizing </b><b><i>Musa cheesmanii</i></b><b> as a male parent for banana breeding: cross-compatibility and multi-omics insights</b>

Bananas (<i>Musa</i> spp.) are crucial for food security, but modern cultivars, derived from a limited number of wild species and propagated vegetatively, have low genetic diversity, weakening their disease resistance. In this study, we assessed <i>Musa cheesmanii</i> for Fusarium wilt resistance and confirmed its high resistance to <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>cubense</i>. We also crossbred <i>M. cheesmanii</i> with two <i>Musa</i> ABB cultivars, 'Yulin' and 'Jinyu', and found that the hybrid offspring exhibited vigorous growth, high yield, and extended shelf life. Additionally, we present the first fully completed genome of <i>M. cheesmanii</i>, with multi-omics analysis revealing insights into its diversification, black pseudo-stem coloration, and defense mechanisms. Overall, <i>M. cheesmanii</i> is a promising male parent for banana breeding, offering a breakthrough in genetic diversity and the development of superior cultivars.