Whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of taro, Colocasia esculenta, using next generation sequencing technology

Taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, is the fifth root crop and the fourteenth vegetable in the world. It is the staple food in many developing countries in the South Pacific, Asia, Central Africa, the Caribbeans, and South/Central America. Among the many diseases and pests that limit taro production worldwide, Phytophthora colocasiae, the causal agent of taro leaf blight (TLB), is the most devastating. Sequencing and analysis of the taro whole genome and transcriptome should foster gene discovery, especially, TLB-resistance genes. Also, microsatellites (SSRs) derived from this project will facilitate marker-assisted breeding of improved taro cultivars.