Out of the Amazon:: Theobroma cacao enters the genomic era

Theobroma cacao has long been a crop of near-mystical human importance among indigenous Mesoamerican cultures and its importance in modern culture is growing with new realizations of the potential health benefits of cocoa polyphenolic compounds. However, cultivated T cacao is vulnerable to emerging disease pressures because it has a narrow genetic base, and systematic genetic improvement of the crop is imperative. A wide range of genomic tools and resources has been developed and are providing the basis for genome-based breeding and gene discovery.