Harnessing novel genomic resources and emerging breeding tools to fast-track genetic improvement in papaya

Rhys Glen Richard Copeland; Ido Bar; Shri Hari Prasad; Reyazul Rouf Mir; Vanika Garg; Robert Henry; Ray Ming; Rajeev Kumar Varshney

doi:10.1016/j.hpj.2025.06.001

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Harnessing novel genomic resources and emerging breeding tools to fast-track genetic improvement in papaya

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Harnessing novel genomic resources and emerging breeding tools to fast-track genetic improvement in papaya

Rhys Glen Richard Copeland, Ido Bar, Shri Hari Prasad, Reyazul Rouf Mir, Vanika Garg, Robert Henry, Ray Ming and Rajeev Kumar Varshney

Horticultural plant journal, In Press

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpj.2025.06.001

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Abstract

Breeding

Carica papaya

Crop improvement

Genomic resources

Genomic Selection

GWAS

Horticulture

QTL-mapping

Papaya is a nutritionally valuable fruit crop cultivated globally in tropical and subtropical regions. Conventional breeding efforts have prioritized enhancing traits such as yield and fruit size, with notable success in developing high-yielding cultivars. However, other critical areas in papaya improvement, such as enhancing genetic diversity, improving disease resistance, optimizing post-harvest management, and addressing consumer preferences for fruit quality and flavor, have experienced relatively limited progress. Addressing these gaps is essential for meeting both production challenges and market demands. Achieving substantial genetic gains in these traits in the shortest timeframe will require integrating traditional breeding practices with emerging genomics tools. Over the past two decades, substantial advancements in papaya genomics have been achieved, resulting in resources including high-density genetic maps, high-quality reference genomes, and transcriptomic and resequencing datasets. These resources have been utilized to develop genome-wide markers and identify marker-trait associations, supporting the development of disease-resistant varieties and uncovering the genetics of consumer-preferred traits. By utilizing these resources in combination with innovative approaches such as genomic selection and speed breeding, sequence-based breeding approaches can significantly accelerate genetic gains in papaya. This enables the rapid development of elite (high-performance) papaya cultivars that meet both agronomic and consumer expectations.

Details

Title: Harnessing novel genomic resources and emerging breeding tools to fast-track genetic improvement in papaya
Authors/Creators: Rhys Glen Richard Copeland - WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
Ido Bar - Griffith University
Shri Hari Prasad - Murdoch University
Reyazul Rouf Mir - Murdoch University
Vanika Garg - Murdoch University
Robert Henry - The University of Queensland
Ray Ming - Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University
Rajeev Kumar Varshney - WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
Publication Details: Horticultural plant journal, In Press
Publisher: Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.
Identifiers: 991005799772807891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Crop and Food Innovation; State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre; Food Futures Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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