Theobroma cacao, the cacao variety endemic to South American rainforest, has been cultivated over 3,000 years resulting in the highly domesticated Criollo Cocoa we know today. This genome has been sequence to determine the genes involved in the compounds determining the unique flavor of chocolate. While this cultivar produces high quality fine chocolate, it is highly susceptible to diseases and has a low yield. Therefore over 95% of the world chocolates production uses more vigorous hybrids. With access to the full genome, the goal is to breed improved varieties, to keep production up with the increasing demand for fine-grade chocolate.

Publication:
The genome sequence of the most widely cultivated cacao type and its use to identify candidate genes regulating pod color.

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