Polyploidy before and after domestication of crop species

Recent advances in the genomics of polyploid species answer some of the long-standing questions about the role of polyploidy in crop species. Here, we summarize the current literature to reexamine scenarios in which polyploidy played a role both before and after domestication. The prevalence of polyploidy can help to explain environmental robustness in agroecosystems. This review also clarifies the molecular basis of some agriculturally advantageous traits of polyploid crops, including yield increments in polyploid cotton via subfunctionalization, modification of a separated sexuality to selfing in polyploid persimmon via neofunctionalization, and transition to a selfing system via nonfunctionalization com-bined with epistatic interaction between duplicated S-loci. The rapid progress in genomics and genetics is discussed along with how this will facilitate functional studies of under-studied polyploid crop species.

Automated summary

Recent advances in genomics have provided answers to the role of polyploidy in crop species. Polyploidy explains the environmental robustness in agroecosystems and contributes to advantageous traits in polyploid crops. The rapid progress in genomics and genetics will aid in functional studies of under-studied polyploid crop species.