Coconut Research Institute

Multiple “omics” approaches have emerged as successful technologies for plant systems over the last few decades. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have paved a way for a new generation of different omics, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. However, metabolomics, ionomics, and phenomics have also been well-documented in crop science. Multi-omics approaches with high throughput techniques have played an important role in elucidating growth, senescence, yield, and the responses to biotic and abiotic stress in numerous crops. These omics approaches have been implemented in some important crops including wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), soybean ( Glycine max ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), maize ( Zea mays L.), millet ( Setaria italica L.), cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), Medicago truncatula , and rice ( Oryza sativa L.). The integration of functional genomics with other omics highlights the relationships between crop genomes and phenotypes under specific physiological and environmental conditions. The purpose of this review is to dissect the role and integration of multi-omics technologies for crop breeding science. We highlight the applications of various omics approaches, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics, and ionomics, and the implementation of robust methods to improve crop genetics and breeding science. Potential challenges that confront the integration of multi-omics with regard to the functional analysis of genes and their networks as well as the development of potential traits for crop improvement are discussed. The panomics platform allows for the integration of complex omics to construct models that can be used to predict complex traits. Systems biology integration with multi-omics datasets can enhance our understanding of molecular regulator networks for crop improvement. In this context, we suggest the integration of entire omics by employing the “phenotype to genotype” and “genotype to phenotype” concept. Hence, top-down (phenotype to genotype) and bottom-up (genotype to phenotype) model through integration of multi-omics with systems biology may be beneficial for crop breeding improvement under conditions of environmental stresses.

Deficiency of certain elements can cause leaf chlorosis in Areca catechu L. trees, which causes considerable production loss. The linkage between nutrient deficiency and chlorosis phenomenon and physiological defect in A. catechu remains unclear. Here, we found that low iron supply is a determinant for chlorosis of A. catechu seedling, and excessive iron supply resulted in dark green leaves. We also observed morphological characters of A. catechu seedlings under different iron levels and compared their fresh weight, chlorophyll contents, chloroplast structures and photosynthetic activities. Results showed that iron deficiency directly caused chloroplast degeneration and reduced chlorophyll synthesis in chlorosis leaves, while excessive iron treatment can increase chlorophyll contents, chloroplasts sizes, and inflated starch granules. However, both excessive and deficient of iron decreases fresh weight and photosynthetic rate in A. catechu seedlings. Therefore, we applied transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches to understand the effect of different iron supply to A. catechu seedlings. The genes involved in nitrogen assimilation pathway, such as NR (nitrate reductase) and GOGAT (glutamate synthase), were significantly down-regulated under both iron deficiency and excessive iron. Moreover, the accumulation of organic acids and flavonoids indicated a potential way for A. catechu to endure iron deficiency. On the other hand, the up-regulation of POD-related genes was assumed to be a defense strategy against the excessive iron toxicity. Our data demonstrated that A. catechu is an iron-sensitive species, therefore the precise control of iron level is believed to be the key point for A. catechu cultivation.

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera,2n = 32), a member of genus Cocos and family Arecaceae (Palmaceae), is an important tropical fruit and oil crop. Currently, coconut palm is cultivated in 93 countries, including Central and South America, East and West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, with a total growth area of more than 12 million hectares [1]. Coconut palm is generally classified into 2 main categories: "Tall" (flowering 8-10 years after planting) and "Dwarf" (flowering 4-6 years after planting), based on morphological characteristics and breeding habits. This Palmae species has a long growth period before reproductive years, which hinders conventional breeding progress. In spite of initial successes, improvements made by conventional breeding have been very slow. In the present study, we obtained de novo sequences of the Cocos nucifera genome: a major genomic resource that could be used to facilitate molecular breeding in Cocos nucifera and accelerate the breeding process in this important crop. A total of 419.67 gigabases (Gb) of raw reads were generated by the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform using a series of paired-end and mate-pair libraries, covering the predicted Cocos nucifera genome length (2.42 Gb, variety "Hainan Tall") to an estimated ×173.32 read depth. A total scaffold length of 2.20 Gb was generated (N50 = 418 Kb), representing 90.91% of the genome. The coconut genome was predicted to harbor 28 039 protein-coding genes, which is less than in Phoenix dactylifera (PDK30: 28 889), Phoenix dactylifera (DPV01: 41 660), and Elaeis guineensis (EG5: 34 802). BUSCO evaluation demonstrated that the obtained scaffold sequences covered 90.8% of the coconut genome and that the genome annotation was 74.1% complete. Genome annotation results revealed that 72.75% of the coconut genome consisted of transposable elements, of which long-terminal repeat retrotransposons elements (LTRs) accounted for the largest proportion (92.23%). Comparative analysis of the antiporter gene family and ion channel gene families between C. nucifera and Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that significant gene expansion may have occurred in the coconut involving Na+/H+ antiporter, carnitine/acylcarnitine translocase, potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger, and potassium channel genes. Despite its agronomic importance, C. nucifera is still under-studied. In this report, we present a draft genome of C. nucifera and provide genomic information that will facilitate future functional genomics and molecular-assisted breeding in this crop species.

3-Carene is an antimicrobial monoterpene that occurs naturally in a variety of plants and has an ambiguous antibacterial mechanism against food-borne germs. The antibacterial effects and action mechanism of 3-carene against Gram-positive Brochothrix thermosphacta ACCC 03870 and Gram-negative Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525 were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination and leakage of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) verified that 3-carene caused more obvious damage to the morphology and wall structure of B. thermosphacta than P. fluorescens. The release of potassium ions and proteins, the reduction in membrane potential (MP), and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining further confirmed that the loss of the barrier function of the cell membrane and the leakage of cytoplasmic contents were due to the 3-carene treatment. Furthermore, the disorder of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), pyruvate kinase (PK), and ATP content indicated that 3-carene could lead to metabolic dysfunction and inhibit energy synthesis. In addition, the results from the fluorescence analysis revealed that 3-carene could probably bind to bacterial DNA and affect the conformation and structure of genomic DNA. These results revealed that 3-carene had strong antibacterial activity against B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens via membrane damage, bacterial metabolic perturbations, and genomic DNA structure disruption, interfering in cellular functions and even causing cell death.

BACKGROUND: Cocos nucifera (coconut), a member of the Arecaceae family, is an economically important woody palm grown in tropical regions. Despite its agronomic importance, previous germplasm assessment studies have relied solely on morphological and agronomical traits. Molecular biology techniques have been scarcely used in assessment of genetic resources and for improvement of important agronomic and quality traits in Cocos nucifera, mostly due to the absence of available sequence information. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To provide basic information for molecular breeding and further molecular biological analysis in Cocos nucifera, we applied RNA-seq technology and de novo assembly to gain a global overview of the Cocos nucifera transcriptome from mixed tissue samples. Using Illumina sequencing, we obtained 54.9 million short reads and conducted de novo assembly to obtain 57,304 unigenes with an average length of 752 base pairs. Sequence comparison between assembled unigenes and released cDNA sequences of Cocos nucifera and Elaeis guineensis indicated that the assembled sequences were of high quality. Approximately 99.9% of unigenes were novel compared to the released coconut EST sequences. Using BLASTX, 68.2% of unigenes were successfully annotated based on the Genbank non-redundant (Nr) protein database. The annotated unigenes were then further classified using the Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study provides a large quantity of novel genetic information for Cocos nucifera. This information will act as a valuable resource for further molecular genetic studies and breeding in coconut, as well as for isolation and characterization of functional genes involved in different biochemical pathways in this important tropical crop species.

High-density single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are used as highly favored makers to analyze genetic diversity and population structure, to construct high-density genetic maps and provide genotypes for genome-wide association analysis. In order to develop genome-wide SNP markers in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), SLAF-seq (Single Locus Amplified Fragment sequencing) technology was performed in a diversity panel of 200 oil palm individuals and 1 261 501 SNPs were identified with minor allele frequency > 0.05 and integrity > 1. Among them, only 17.81% can be mapped within the genic region and the remaining was located into the intergenic region. A positive correlation was detected between the distribution of SNP markers and retrotransposons (TEs). Population structure analysis showed that the 200 individuals of oil palm can be divided into five subgroups based on cross validation errors. However, the subpopulations divided for the 200 oil palm individuals based on the SNP markers were not accurately related to their geographical origins and 80 oil palm individuals from Malaysia showed highest genetic diversity. In addition, the physical distance of LD decay in the analyzed oil palm population was 14.516 Kb when r2 = 0.1. The LD decay distances for different chromosomes varied from 3.324 Kb (chromosome 15) to 19.983 Kb (chromosome 7). Our research provides genome-wide SNPs for future targeted breeding in palm oil.

BACKGROUND: Coconut is an important tropical oil and fruit crop whose evolutionary position renders it a fantastic species for the investigation of the evolution of monocot chromosomes and the subsequent differentiation of ancient plants. RESULTS: Here, we report the assembly and annotation of reference-grade genomes of Cn. tall and Cn. dwarf, whose genome sizes are 2.40 Gb and 2.39 Gb, respectively. The comparative analysis reveals that the two coconut subspecies diverge about 2-8 Mya while the conserved Arecaceae-specific whole-genome duplication (ω WGD) occurs approximately 47-53 Mya. It additionally allows us to reconstruct the ancestral karyotypes of the ten ancient monocot chromosomes and the evolutionary trajectories of the 16 modern coconut chromosomes. Fiber synthesis genes in Cn. tall, related to lignin and cellulose synthesis, are found at a higher copy number and expression level than dwarf coconuts. Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals that the difference in coconut plant height is the result of altered gibberellin metabolism, with both the GA20ox copy number and a single-nucleotide change in the promoter together leading to the difference in plant height between Cn. tall and Cn. dwarf. CONCLUSION: We provide high-quality coconut genomes and reveal the genetic basis of trait differences between two coconuts through multi-omics analysis. We also reveal that the selection of plant height has been targeted for the same gene for millions of years, not only in natural selection of ancient plant as illustrated in coconut, but also for artificial selection in cultivated crops such as rice and maize.

Water deficiency and low temperature are two important ecological factors which affect the distribution and cultivation of oil palm. To find out how oil palm adapts to the environmental conditions, the dynamics of a series of important physiological components derived from the leaves of potted oil palm seedlings under drought stress (DS) (water with holding) and low temperature stress (LTS) (10°C) were studied. The results showed that low temperature and water stress inhibited the growth of oil palm seedlings. The relative conductivity, injury index, malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content in the leaves increased to different degrees with the extension of low temperature and drought stress. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities increased and then decreased gradually with the duration of treatment time. The variations of the earlier mentioned parameters except proline content under low temperature stress were greater than that under drought stress. Thus, oil palm possibly showed different response mechanisms under low temperature and drought stress by mediations of these substances, in order to increase plant defense capability. These data provided the information that was utilized to initiate the breeding programme used to improve drought and cold tolerance in oil palm.   Key words: Oil palm, drought stress, low temperature stress, physiological characteristics.

  The research was conducted to detect changes in growth, physiology and nutrient concentration in response to two watering regimes (well-watered and water-stress conditions) and to two nutrient regimes (with or without fertilization) of oil palm. Under stress conditions, changes in plant growth, dry matter allocation, relative water content, leaf relative conductivity, leaf N, P and K concentration are usually observed. These characteristics and related parameters were determined and the experiment results are listed as follows: (1) fertilization promoted the growth of oil palm under well-watered conditions, while under water stress conditions its effects on growth was negative. The ratio of root/shoot was increased under water stress condition; (2) relative water content and chlorophyll a/b content were gradually decreased while leaf relative conductivity was increased quickly under water and nutrient stress conditions during the experiment. It is obvious that water stress had a greater influence than nutrient stress on these parameters; (3) water and nutrient stress decreased leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentration but increased potassium concentration; the combination of water and nutrient stress made significant effects on nitrogen and phosphorus concentration, but no significant effects on potassium concentration. Moreover, deficiency of both water and nutrients in combination had the greatest impact on changes in these traits of oil palm.   Key words: Plant growth, physiology response, nutrient concentration, water stress, nutrient stress.

Coconut cake is an abundant and good potential edible protein source. However, until now it has not been extensively used in the food industry. To promote its usage, the characterization, nutrition value and antioxidant activity of coconut cake protein fractions (albumin, globulin, prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2) were studied. Results revealed that all the albumin, globulin, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 fractions showed a high nutrition value. The prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 all exhibited good radical scavenging activity and reducing power, and the globulin and prolamine showed high ion chelating ability (89.14-80.38%). Moreover, all the fractions except glutelin-2 could effectively protect DNA against oxidative damage. Several peptides containing five to eight amino acids with antioxidant activity were also identified by LC-MS/MS from the globulin and glutelin-2 fractions. The results demonstrated that the coconut cake protein fractions have potential usages in functional foods.

SCOPE: Heat-treated adzuki bean protein hydrolysates (APH) reduce cholesterol in vitro. However, it is unclear if APH have anti-obesity effects in vivo and, if so, the relationship between the effects and the improvement of gut microbiota composition and metabolic function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four groups of mice are fed either a normal control diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without APH for 12 weeks. In HFD-fed mice, APH supplementation significantly alleviate fat accumulation, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. In addition, APH supplementation regulate gut microbiota composition, reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Romboutsia, Blautia, Mucispirillum, Bilophila, and Peptococcus), enrich Lactobacillus and SCFA-producing bacteria (Lactobacillaceae, Eisenbergiella, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Tannerellaceae, Eubacterium_nodatum_group, Acetatifactor, Rikenellaceae, and Odoribacter), and increase fecal SCFAs concentration. Importantly, APH supplementation significantly regulate the levels of serum metabolites, especially Lactobacillus-derived metabolites and tryptophan derivatives, which help to alleviate obesity and its complications. CONCLUSION: APH improve gut microbiota composition and metabolic function in mice and may help to prevent and treat obesity and related complications.

Morinda officinalis is a well-known medicinal and edible plant that is widely cultivated in the Lingnan region of southern China. Its dried roots (called bajitian in traditional Chinese medicine) are broadly used to treat various diseases, such as impotence and rheumatism. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly of M. officinalis using Nanopore single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C technology. The assembled genome size was 484.85 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 40.97 Mb, and 90.77% of the assembled sequences were anchored on eleven pseudochromosomes. The genome includes 27,698 protein-coding genes, and most of the assemblies are repetitive sequences. Genome evolution analysis revealed that M. officinalis underwent core eudicot γ genome triplication events but no recent whole-genome duplication (WGD). Likewise, comparative genomic analysis showed no large-scale structural variation after species divergence between M. officinalis and Coffea canephora. Moreover, gene family analysis indicated that gene families associated with plant-pathogen interactions and sugar metabolism were significantly expanded in M. officinalis. Furthermore, we identified many candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of major active components such as anthraquinones, iridoids and polysaccharides. In addition, we also found that the DHQS, GGPPS, TPS-Clin, TPS04, sacA, and UGDH gene families-which include the critical genes for active component biosynthesis-were expanded in M. officinalis. This study provides a valuable resource for understanding M. officinalis genome evolution and active component biosynthesis. This work will facilitate genetic improvement and molecular breeding of this commercially important plant.

Sargassum maclurei is a potential protein resource because of its high protein content and relatively balanced amino acid composition. To promote its usage in food, medical, or other industries, S. maclurei protein was hydrolyzed by pepsin and papain to obtain bioactive peptides. The S. maclurei protein hydrolysates (SMPHs) were purified using gel chromatography and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and 12 major fractions were obtained. The fraction D11 with the highest angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition (61.59%, at 1 mg/mL) was subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, and about 17 peptides were identified, of which the RWDISQPY (1063.5 Da) was chosen to be synthesized based on in silico analysis. The RWDISQPY demonstrated high ACE inhibition ability (IC50: 72.24 μM) with competitive inhibition mode, and could effectively (p < 0.05) lower the systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats at the concentration of 150 mg/kg body weight. The results of the molecular docking simulation demonstrated that RWDISQPY could bind with the active sites S1 and S2 of ACE via short hydrogen bonds. Moreover, RWDISQPY showed acceptable endothelin-1 suppressing capacity (26.21% at 1.5 mg/mL). These results indicate that S. maclurei could be developed into functional foods such as antihypertensive products.

Low-temperature stress, including chilling and freezing injuries, significantly impacts plant growth in tropical and temperate regions. Plants respond to cold stress by activating mechanisms that enhance freezing tolerance, such as regulating photosynthesis, metabolism, and protein pathways and producing osmotic regulators and antioxidants. Membrane stability is crucial, with cold-resistant plants exhibiting higher lipid unsaturation to maintain fluidity and normal metabolism. Low temperatures disrupt reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, leading to oxidative damage, which is mitigated by antioxidant defenses. Hormonal regulation, involving ABA, auxin, gibberellins, and others, further supports cold adaptation. Plants also manage osmotic balance by accumulating osmotic regulators like proline and sugars. Through complex regulatory pathways, including the ICE1-CBF-COR cascade, plants optimize gene expression to survive cold stress, ensuring adaptability to freezing conditions. This study reviews the recent advancements in genetic engineering technologies aimed at enhancing the cold resistance of agricultural crops. The goal is to provide insights for further improving plant cold tolerance and developing new cold-tolerant varieties.

Abstract This paper explores the subsistence records from cave sites with Pleistocene‐aged deposits in East Timor and the Aru Islands during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and discusses these records within the context of the limited archaeological evidence for LGM occupation from elsewhere in the Indonesian Archipelago. Although Timor and the Aru Islands are at similar latitudes, the onset of aridity had markedly different impacts on the settlement and subsistence choices available to hunter‐gatherers in these two regions. We suggest that the different occupation trajectories seen in Timor and Aru during the LGM are related, at least in part, to biogeographic contrasts across the Indonesian Archipelago.

ABSTRACT Waterflooding of California’s diatomite reservoirs has been extensively employed for two reasons: (1) to increase total recovery, and (2) to mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects of reservoir compaction and the resulting surface subsidence. Waterflooding has typically striven to replace each barrel of produced fluid with a barrel of injected water in order to achieve "zero net voidage". The extremely low permeability of the diatomite reservoirs, however, results in the generation of very significant reservoir pressure gradients during waterflooding, even under zero net voidage conditions. These extreme gradients in reservoir pressure, together with the reservoir compaction, result in significant changes in the local reservoir stress field. These local stress perturbations can, in turn, result in reorientation of hydraulic fractures on infill wells and possibly contribute significantly to the potential for wellbore casing failure. This paper summarizes the (preliminary) findings from extensive field studies of hydraulic fracture orientation in diatomite waterfloods and related efforts to monitor the induced surface subsidence. Included are case studies from the Belridge and Lost Hills diatomite reservoirs. The primary purpose of the paper is to document a large volume of tiltmeter hydraulic fracture orientation data that demonstrates waterflood-induced fracture reorientation—a phenomenon not previously considered in waterflood development planning. Also included is a brief overview of three possible mechanisms for the observed waterflood fracture reorientation. A discussion section details efforts to isolate the operative mechanism(s) from the most extensive case study, as well as suggesting a possible strategy for detecting and possibly mitigating some of the adverse effects of production/injection induced reservoir stress changes — reservoir compaction and surface subsidence as well as fracture reorientation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Metabolic dysfunction due to loss of mitochondria plays an important role in diabetes, and stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis by anti-diabetic drugs improves mitochondrial function. In a search for potent stimulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, we examined the effects and mechanisms of lipoamide and α-lipoic acid (LA) in adipocytes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with lipoamide or LA. Mitochondrial biogenesis and possible signalling pathways were examined. KEY RESULTS: Exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to lipoamide or LA for 24 h increased the number and mitochondrial mass per cell. Such treatment also increased mitochondrial DNA copy number, protein levels and expression of transcription factors involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, including PGC-1α, mitochondrial transcription factor A and nuclear respiratory factor 1. Lipoamide produced these effects at concentrations of 1 and 10 µmol·L⁻¹, whereas LA was most effective at 100 µmol·L⁻¹. At 10 µmol·L⁻¹, lipoamide, but not LA, stimulated mRNA expressions of PPAR-γ, PPAR-α and CPT-1α. The potency of lipoamide was 10-100-fold greater than that of LA. Lipoamide dose-dependently stimulated expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and formation of cGMP. Knockdown of eNOS (with small interfering RNA) prevented lipoamide-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, which was also blocked by the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ODQ and the protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor, KT5823. Thus, stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis by lipoamide involved signalling via the eNOS-cGMP-PKG pathway. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our data suggest that lipoamide is a potent stimulator of mitochondrial biogenesis in adipocyte, and may have potential therapeutic application in obesity and diabetes.

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is the emblematic palm of tropical coastal areas all around the globe. It provides vital resources to millions of farmers. In an effort to better understand its evolutionary history and to develop genomic tools for its improvement, a sequence draft was recently released. Here, we present a dense linkage map (8402 SNPs) aiming to assemble the large genome of coconut (2.42 Gbp, 2n = 32) into 16 pseudomolecules. As a result, 47% of the sequences (representing 77% of the genes) were assigned to 16 linkage groups and ordered. We observed segregation distortion in chromosome Cn15, which is a signature of strong selection among pollen grains, favouring the maternal allele. Comparing our results with the genome of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis allowed us to identify major events in the evolutionary history of palms. We find that coconut underwent a massive transposable element invasion in the last million years, which could be related to the fluctuations of sea level during the glaciations at Pleistocene that would have triggered a population bottleneck. Finally, to better understand the facultative halophyte trait of coconut, we conducted an RNA-seq experiment on leaves to identify key players of signaling pathways involved in salt stress response. Altogether, our findings represent a valuable resource for the coconut breeding community.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq.) is a prominent vegetable-oil-yielding crop. Cultivating high-yielding oil palm with improved traits is a pre-requisite to meet the increasing demands of palm oil consumption. However, tissue culture and biotechnological approaches can resolve these concerns. Over the past three decades, significant research has been carried out to develop tissue culture and genetic transformation protocols for oil palm. Somatic embryogenesis is an efficient platform for the micropropagation of oil palm on a large scale. In addition, various genetic transformation techniques, including microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated, Polyethylene glycol mediated mediated, and DNA microinjection, have been developed by optimizing various parameters for the efficient genetic transformation of oil palm. This review mainly emphasizes the methods established for in vitro propagation and genetic transformation of oil palm. Finally, we propose the application of the genome editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 to improve the various traits in this oil yielding crop.

As the primary pest of palm trees, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has caused serious harm to palms since it first invaded China. The present study used CLIMEX 1.1 to predict the potential distribution of R. ferrugineus in China according to both current climate data (1981-2010) and future climate warming estimates based on simulated climate data for the 2020s (2011-2040) provided by the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research (TYN SC 2.0). Additionally, the Ecoclimatic Index (EI) values calculated for different climatic conditions (current and future, as simulated by the B2 scenario) were compared. Areas with a suitable climate for R. ferrugineus distribution were located primarily in central China according to the current climate data, with the northern boundary of the distribution reaching to 40.1°N and including Tibet, north Sichuan, central Shaanxi, south Shanxi, and east Hebei. There was little difference in the potential distribution predicted by the four emission scenarios according to future climate warming estimates. The primary prediction under future climate warming models was that, compared with the current climate model, the number of highly favorable habitats would increase significantly and expand into northern China, whereas the number of both favorable and marginally favorable habitats would decrease. Contrast analysis of EI values suggested that climate change and the density of site distribution were the main effectors of the changes in EI values. These results will help to improve control measures, prevent the spread of this pest, and revise the targeted quarantine areas.