Genome-wide association of dry (Tamar) date palm fruit color

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit (dates) are an economically and culturally significant crop in the Middle East and North Africa. There are hundreds of different commercial cultivars producing dates with distinctive shapes, colors, and sizes. Genetic studies of some date palm traits have been performed, including sex determination, sugar content, and fresh fruit color. In this study, we used genome sequences and image data of 199 dry dates (Tamar) collected from 14 countries to identify genetic loci associated with the color of this fruit stage. Here, we find loci across multiple linkage groups (LG) associated with dry fruit color phenotype. We recover both the previously identified VIRESCENS (VIR) genotype associated with fresh fruit yellow or red color and new associations with the lightness and darkness of dry fruit. This study will add resolution to our understanding of date color phenotype, especially at the most commercially important Tamar stage.