Strategic enhancement of genetic gain for nutraceutical development in buckwheat: A genomics-driven perspective

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) under the family Polygonaceae is an ancient pseudocereal with stupendous but less studied nutraceutical properties. The gluten free nature of protein, balanced amino acid profile and health promoting bioactive flavonoids make it a golden crop of future. Besides a scanty basic research, not much attention has been paid to the improvement of plant type and breeding of nutraceutical traits. Scanning of scientific literature indicates that adequate genetic variation exists for agronomic and nutritional traits in mainstream and wild gene pool of buckwheat. However, the currently employed conventional approaches together with poorly understood genetic mechanisms restrict effective utilization of the existing genetic variation in nutraceutical breeding of buckwheat. The latest trends in buckwheat genomics, particularly avalilabity of draft genome sequences for both the cultivated species (F. esculentum and F.tataricum) hold immense potential to overcome these limitations. Utilizing the transgenic hairy rot cultures, role of various transcription factors and gene families have been deduced in production and biosynthesis of bioactive flavonoids. Further, the acquisition of high-density genomics data coupled with the next-generation phenotyping will certainly improve our understanding of underlying genetic regulation of nutraceutical traits. The present paper highlights the application of multilayered omics interventions for tailoring a nutrient rich buckwheat cultivar and nutraceutical product development.