Chinese scientists have completely sequenced and assembled the genome of coconut, an advance that may lead to high-yielding, drought-enduring, and disease-resistant varieties. “We found 282 unique genome families in the coconut,” Yang Yaodong, a researcher with the academy, was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

“The completion of the genome sequencing is like finishing drawing a map of coconut genes,” Yang said. “Following the map, scientists will be able to breed more high-yielding, drought-enduring, and disease-resistant species, with a shorter breeding cycle,” said Yang.

The results of the genome sequencing project, that began more than four years ago, were published in Giga Science journal. A genome is the full complement of an organism’s DNA complex molecules that direct the formation and function of all living organisms.