German researchers sequence rye genome for first time

FILE- In this July 25, 2008 file photo rye spikes are pictured in a field near Bad Muenstereifel, western Germany, during the morning sun. Scientists in Germany have for the first time mapped the entire genome of rye, a cereal known for its hardy properties. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich and the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research announced Monday, April3, 2017 that the first full draft of the rye genome will be made freely available to scientists worldwide. (AP Photo/Hermann J. Knippertz, file) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – Scientists in Germany have for the first time mapped the entire genome of rye, a cereal known for its hardy properties.

Eva Bauer, a plant researcher at the Technical University of Munich and lead author of the study, says rye has received less attention than wheat, barley and maize, which are more widely cultivated.

This meant there was less funding from industry to sequence the rye genome, which is about 2½ times the size of the human genome.

Bauer said Monday that rye's ability to cope with droughts, poor soil and resist frost — which makes it popular in the colder climates of Central and Eastern Europe — is of particular interest for future research.

The draft genome will be made freely available to scientists worldwide.