A team of researchers from Israel and the United States has released the
improved and accurate assembly of the intermediate wheatgrass genome. The
latest version of the assembly has reached a scaffold N50 of 25.9 MB with
2.55% unfilled sequence gaps and complete BUSCO gene coverage of 97.9%.

Dr. Lee DeHaan of The Land Institute is leading efforts to transform
intermediate wheatgrass into a perennial grain crop. Several rounds of
selecting and inter-mating the best plants based on yield, disease
resistance, shatter resistance, free threshing ability, grain quality, and
seed size have resulted in improved populations of intermediate wheatgrass
that are currently being evaluated and further selected in diverse
environments.

The goal is to develop grain-producing intermediate wheatgrass varieties
that can be grown in different climates to meet human food needs while
enhancing soil health. In addition to helping with domestication of
intermediate wheatgrass, the assembly is expected to expedite the
development of perennial wheat by wide hybridization between wheat and the
perennial grass.

[www.nrgene.com]