Sequencing crop genomes: approaches and applications

Summary Many challenges face plant scientists, in particular those working on crop production, such as a projected increase in population, decrease in water and arable land, changes in weather patterns and predictability. Advances in genome sequencing and resequencing can and should play a role in our response to meeting these challenges. However, several barriers prevent rapid and effective deployment of these tools to a wide variety of crops. Because of the complexity of crop genomes, de novo sequencing with next‐generation sequencing technologies is a process fraught with difficulties that then create roadblocks to the utilization of these genome sequences for crop improvement. Collecting rapid and accurate phenotypes in crop plants is a hindrance to integrating genomics with crop improvement, and advances in informatics are needed to put these tools in the hands of the scientists on the ground. Contents Summary 915 I. Genomics and crop improvement 915 II. Complexity of plant genomes 916 III. Evolution of genome sequencing 917 IV. Future of genome sequencing 919 V. Application of genomics for crop improvement 920 VI. Unlocking the potential of genetic diversity through genomic approaches 922 Acknowledgements 923 References 923