The genomics of date palms: Current perspectives

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the most important fruit crops in the world and is especially important in the arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa. Although both economically and culturally important, the biology of date palms remains obscure. In the last decade, however, there have been major advances in genomic studies of this important crop species. Multiple reference genomes are now available, which has facilitated identification of genes underlying major traits such as sex, fruit colour and sugar composition. Moreover,whole-genome re-sequencing fromsome of the approximately 3000 date palm varieties have provided crucial insights into the diversity and evolution of this perennial tree crop. The overview of the field highlights major advances and also provides a guidepost for future challenges.