Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) has made a breakthrough in research on the pineapple genome, according to a press conference at FAFU in Fujian province on Nov 3.

Ming Ruiguang, professor of FAFU and chief scientist of the pineapple research group, noted that their research has decoded pineapple genomes, which will help improve pineapple varieties and increase output.

Ming Ruiguang, professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, introduces their research results at a press conference at FAFU, Fujian province on Nov 3. [Photo by Yang Jie/chinadaily.com.cn]

The research was led by FAFU and jointly conducted by 17 universities and institutions, including the National Taiwan University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The result has been published in Nature Genetics titled "The pineapple genome and the evolution of CAM photosynthesis." Nature Genetics is the world's top journal in genetics and genomics.

Pineapple is a tropical fruit planted in 85 countries with annual output value of $8.6 billion. Restricted by its genes, pineapple varieties are difficult to improve.