Sorghum pangenome reveals hidden diversity to boost trait discovery
A 33-member sorghum pangenome and a 1,984-genotype diversity panel expand beyond the BTx623 reference to capture extensive structural variation and presence–absence variation. The study annotates genes with RNA-seq, identifies large-scale variants, and uses a fast k-mer genotyping approach to map complex alleles at loci like SH1 and the dhurrin biosynthetic cluster. By linking genomic diversity to traits such as drought tolerance, biomass, and leaf chemistry, the work provides a framework to accelerate trait discovery and breeding across global sorghum germplasm.
