International Peanut Genome Initiative (IPGI) released the first peanut genome sequence in Alexandria, Virginia on April 2, 2014. The new sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the world to assist in breeding more productive, more resilient peanut varieties.

IPGI said that the multinational cooperation has made significant progress with the success of sequencing A and B sub-genomes of two wild species. The sequences provide researchers access to 96 percents of all peanut genes and this progress sets a landmark for basic and applied research of peanut.

China is an important partner to IPGI and institutions involved in cooperation include Oil Crops Research Institute (OCRI) of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Institute of Industrial Crops of Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology Research Center of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and BGI.

Peanut is the world's important oil crop and economic crop and distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. China is the world's largest peanut producer, consumer and exporter, and accounts for over 40% of the world’s peanut production, consumption and exports.

Professor Liao Boshou, Deputy Director of OCRI and also a peanut pathologist said that wild species possess many excellent genes for traits differentiating from cultivated species, such as disease resistance and stress tolerance. The new sequences will certainly promote molecular research, genetic marker development and varietal improvement, and will consequently contribute to increased peanut production, food security and safety, and sustainable development of peanut industry.

Genome sequence assembly and additional information about the two wild species are available at: http://peanutbase.org/files/genomes/.