Genetic sequencing of jujube tree completed

Scientists have finished the genome sequencing of the Chinese jujube tree, and their new insights are expected to aid development of higher-quality fruit.

Jujube trees are indigenous to China, and 99 percent of the world's jujube plantations are located in the country. The plant is a source of income for more than 20 million Chinese farmers.

The research has been conducted by Liu Mengjun, a geneticist at Hebei Agricultural University, and his team since 2010. The work has led to the discovery of the genes that enable the plant to resist drought and high salinity in the soil, and which give its fruit a high sugar content.