HPAU decodes Horse gram genome sequence

Palampur – A team of scientists from Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University has cracked a genome sequence of Horse gram, locally known as Kulthi, which will help in developing high-yielding seed varieties. According to HPAU Vice Chancellor Ashok Kumar Sarial it will pave the way for developing genomic tools which can aid genomics-assisted breeding in this underutilised, potential pulse crop and identify key genes responsible for economic traits. With no genomic information previously available for this crop, the scientists have identified 36,000 genes in Horse gram species which can be utilised for future breeding. Horse gram is an indigenous legume of north-western Himalayan region having many nutraceutical properties. It is highly suitable for cultivation in rainfed areas. HPAU’s biotechnology department professors Rakesh Kumar Chahota and T R Sharma as well as Sachiko Isobe from Japan’s Kazusa DNA Research Institute worked on this research work.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App