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A pangenome of oat, assembled from 33 wild and domesticated oat lines, sheds light on the evolution and genetic diversity of this cereal crop and will aid genomics-assisted breeding to improve productivity and sustainability.

Available wheat genomes are annotated by projecting Chinese Spring gene models across the new assemblies. Here, the authors generate de novo gene annotations for the 9 wheat genomes, identify core and dispensable transcriptome, and reveal conservation and divergence of gene expression balance across homoeologous subgenomes.

A long- and short-read barley pan-transcriptome assembled from 20 diverse barley genotypes offers insights into genotype- and tissue-dependent gene expression and function.

A pangenome analysis of 76 wild and domesticated barley accessions in combination with short-read sequence data of 1,315 barley genotypes indicates that allelic diversity at structurally complex loci may have helped crop plants to adapt to agricultural ecosystems.

A compilation of genomes from species in the genus Solanum could help scientists to blend the best aspects of productive staple crops and genetically diverse but under-studied indigenous crops.

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of rye inbred line ‘Lo7’ provides insights into its incomplete genetic isolation from wild relatives, mechanisms of genome structural evolution and the yield benefits of rye–wheat introgressions.

Assembly of the hexaploid oat genome and its diploid and tetraploid relatives clarifies the evolutionary history of oat and allows mapping of genes for agronomic traits.

A study describes the assembly and analysis of a haplotype-resolved pangenome of bulbous barley with the potential to improve domesticated barley and illustrates its use in evolutionary research and trait mapping.

Comparison of multiple genome assemblies from wheat reveals extensive diversity that results from the complex breeding history of wheat and provides a basis for further potential improvements to this important food crop.

Chromosome-scale sequence assemblies of 20 diverse varieties of barley are used to construct a first-generation pan-genome, revealing previously hidden genetic variation that can be used by studies aimed at crop improvement

The International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium reports sequencing and assembly of a reference genome for barley, Hordeum vulgare.

Sequencing and analysing the diploid genome and transcriptome of Aegilops tauschii provide new insights into the role of this genome in enabling the adaptation of bread wheat and are a step towards understanding the very large and complicated hexaploid genomes of wheat species.

Lablab is a legume native to Africa and cultivated throughout the tropics for food and forage; however, as an orphan crop, limited genomic resources hampers its genetic improvement. Here, an African-led South-North plant genome collaboration produces an improved genome assembly and population genomic resource to accelerate its breeding.

Genome assembly of durum wheat cultivar Svevo enables genome-wide genetic diversity analyses highlighting modifications imposed by thousands of years of empirical selection and breeding.

An integrated high-resolution genetic, physical and shotgun sequence assembly of the barley genome, one of the earliest domesticated and most important crops, is described; it will provide a platform for genome-assisted research and future crop improvement.

De novo genome assemblies of four European flint maize lines and comparison with two US Corn Belt genomes provide insights into the dynamics of intraspecies variation in repeat and gene content in maize genomes.

Sequencing of the hexaploid bread wheat genome shows that it is highly dynamic, with significant loss of gene family members on polyploidization and domestication, and an abundance of gene fragments.

The genome of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium), a member of the Pooideae subfamily, is sequenced. The Pooideae are one of three subfamilies of grasses that provide the bulk of human nutrition and may become major sources of renewable energy. Availability of the genome sequence should help establish Brachypodium as a model for developing new energy and food crops.

Sorghum is an African grass that is grown for food, animal feed and fuel. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the ∼730 megabase genome of Sorghum bicolor. Genome analysis and its comparison with maize and rice shed light on grass genome evolution and also provide insights into the evolution of C₄ photosynthesis, as well as protein coding genes and miRNAs that might contribute to sorghum's drought tolerance.

Sequencing of Medicago truncatula, a model organism of legume biology, shows that genome duplications had a role in the evolution of endosymbiotic nitrogen fixation.

This Review explores the challenges and strategies for developing gapless telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies to enhance our understanding of genome organization and improve crops through genome-assisted breeding or gene editing.

Exome sequencing of a worldwide panel of 487 wheat genotypes, including landraces, cultivars and modern varieties, sheds light on wheat genomic diversity and the evolution of modern bread wheat.

Detlef Weigel and colleagues report the genome sequence of Arabidopsis lyrata. In comparison with the much smaller genome of A. thaliana, from which A. lyrata diverged about 10 million years ago, they find that the reduction in genome size is attributed to a large number of deletions across the genome.

A combination of advanced sequencing and mapping techniques is used to produce a reference genome of Aegilops tauschii, progenitor of the wheat D genome, providing a valuable resource for comparative genetic studies.

Tinker et al. identified the position and effects of major QTLs relative to a new fully annotated reference genome in five recombinant inbred line populations representing nine diverse oat (Avena sativa) varieties. They also characterized two major chromosome rearrangements that may impact breeding targets affected by QTL that are located in these regions.

This paper reports the genome sequence of domesticated tomato, a major crop plant, and a draft sequence for its closest wild relative; comparative genomics reveal very little divergence between the two genomes but some important differences with the potato genome, another important food crop in the genus Solanum.

Brinton, Uauy and colleagues utilize genomic data from the 10+ Wheat Genome Project to develop a useful tool for studying and generating new wheat cultivars. This framework uses advanced exploitation of wheat haplotypes to bring newfound precision and efficiency to wheat breeding.