Molecular Study Cuts the Mustard for Climate Change

Brassica juncea, commonly known as mustard used popularly in Indian and Chinese cuisine has been studied extensively to improve its commercial productivity in the current changing climatic conditions. Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA), The University of Melbourne, Department of Primary Industries Victoria, and institutes in India and China have collaborated to improve the plant's diversity and sustainability as climate changes around the world.

In a paper published in the Journal of Heredity, the authors led by Prof. Sheng Chen of UWA's School of Plant Biology reported that the mustard has been cultivated for up to 7,000 years in China, and is also the predominant oilseed crop in India being an important component of the Indian agriculture since 2300 BC. Using molecular markers, the authors gained unique insight into the evolution of this important plant and concluded that in ancient times there were two "waves" of migration of Brassica juncea into India and China from West Asia and places such as Afghanistan.

The Indian and Chinese agricultural types separated from each other during thousands of years of cultivation and selection, but are joined in history and ancestry through these waves of migration. The authors also believe that understanding the heritage of Brassica juncea will help broaden even further the genetic diversity of the crop and breeding for the future

See the original news at  http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201303275512/climate-science/molecular-study-cuts-mustard-climate-change.