Plant genomics in Africa: present and prospects

Abstract

Plants are the world's most consumed goods. They are of high economic value and bring many health benefits. In most countries in Africa, the supply and quality of food will rise to meet the growing population's increasing demand. Genomics and other biotechnology tools offer the opportunity to improve subsistence crops and medicinal herbs in the continent. Significant advances have been made in plant genomics, which have enhanced our knowledge of the molecular processes underlying both plant quality and yield. The sequencing of complex genomes of African plant species, facilitated by the continuously evolving nextgeneration sequencing technologies and advanced bioinformatics approaches, has provided new opportunities for crop improvement. This review summarizes the achievements of genome sequencing projects of endemic African plants in the last two decades. We also present perspectives and challenges for future plant genomic studies that will accelerate important plant breeding programs for African communities. These challenges include a lack of basic facilities, a lack of sequencing and bioinformatics facilities, and a lack of skills to design genomics studies. However, it is imperative to state that African countries have become key players in the plant genome revolution and genome derived-biotechnology. Therefore, African governments should invest in public plant genomics research and applications, establish bioinformatics platforms and training programs, and stimulate university and industry partnerships to fully deploy plant genomics, particularly in the fields of agriculture and medicine.

Lessons from 20 years of plant genome sequencing: an unprecedented resource in need of more diverse representation

“…Far fewer plant genome assemblies have been led by teams in Oceania (40), South America (9) and Africa (1). These patterns likely reflect well-documented differences in training incentives, facilities, and funding opportunities between nations 22,33–35 , many of which have been established and perpetuated through colonial practices 18 .…”

“…Thus, the resulting genome assemblies may not represent the germplasm grown in production regions and the analyses my not address grower priorities. That being said, there are a growing number of inclusive and collaborative plant genomics projects such as the Orphan Crop Genome Consortium (http://africanorphancrops.org) and Africa BioGenome Project that are building capacity and broadening participation in plant genomics 22 .…”

“…In our view, the rich local knowledge associated with the global reservoir of plant diversity 39,42 should form the backbone of future genomics projects. Currently there are over a dozen plant genomics projects with African institutions as partners 20 , collaborative projects integrating indigenous knowledge 42 , and large-scale consortia with multinational participants are being established, all of which could help broaden participation in plant genomics. As American scientists, the authors acknowledge our own implicit and sometimes explicit participation in the sequencing and analysis of non-native plants, but we are committed to including and uplifting local participants in future work.…”

“…Thus, the resulting genome assemblies may not represent the germplasm grown in production regions, making the science less relevant where it matters most. That being said, there are a growing number of inclusive and collaborative plant genomics projects such as the Orphan Crop Genome Consortium (http://africanorphancrops.org) and Africa BioGenome project that are broadening participation in plant genomics by including diverse stakeholders at multiple levels 20 . We suspected that there has been a preference for sequencing economically important plants compared to wild or ecologically important species.…”

“…Over time, this led to a disproportionate accumulation of wealth and scientific resources in the Global North 19 , which contributed to the establishment and maintenance of global inequality 16,18,20 . Today, differences in funding, training opportunities, publication styles, and language requirements continue to drive similar patterns 18,21,22 . In plant genomics, the high costs of sequencing and provisioning computational resources are barriers to entry that perpetuate existing imbalances established due to colonialism and economic disparities.…”