Projects

CHONTA (2019-) - Funded by CEDIA (2019-2020) and the IRD LMI BIO_INCA program

Project leader: R Montufar

Scientists involved from our team : T Couvreur

The CHONTA project is part of an Ecuadorian group of researchers, led by Prof. Rommel Montufar, focusing on understanding the genetic diversity, domestication history and morphology of fruits within the only domesticated palm of the Neotropics Bactris gasipaes. This species is a keystone crop for msot Amazonian societies, consumed espcially for its nutritious fruit called Chontaduro / Chunda (Kichwa) or Uwi (Shuar / Ashuar) in Ecuador. Besides its fruits the "wood" is very hard and used to make crafts and furniture, and the palm is consumed too.

One aim is to sequence its genome using NGS appraoches.

This project groups several universities: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), Universidad Central, ESPOCH and ESPE and IRD.