Draft genome sequence of Kei apple, an underutilized African tree crop

Kariba, R., Waweru, B., Njaci, I., Banda, L., Mwangi, J.W., Harimanantsoa, A., Muthemba, S., Featherstone, J., Hendre, P., Jamnadass, R., Van Deynze, A., Domelevo Entfellner, J.-B. and Shorinola, O. 2025. Draft genome sequence of Kei apple, an underutilized African tree crop. Scientific Data 12: 70.

To address food and nutrition security in the face of burgeoning global populations and erratic climatic conditions there is a need to include nutrient dense, climatic resilient but neglected indigenous fruit trees in agrifood systems. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Kei Apple, Dovyalis afra, a neglected indigenous African fruit tree with untapped potential to contribute to nutrient security and improved livelihoods. Our long-read-based genome assembly comprises 440 Mbp sequence across 1190 contigs with a N50 and L50 of 13.3 Mbp and 11, respectively. We also annotated the genome and identified 27,449 protein-coding genes. Our genome assembly provides a valuable resource for unlocking the food security and nutraceutical potential of Kei apple.