Nature Genetics (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-026-02577-z"> Phenotypes and genome characterization. Credit: Nature Genetics (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-026-02577-z An international team of researchers has produced complete, gap-free genome sequences for six peanut varieties, providing a comprehensive blueprint for future peanut breeding and improvement strategies. Building a complete peanut genome map For a new paper published in Nature Genetics , researchers sequenced two wild ancestors of cultivated peanut, four cultivated varieties, and developed reference genomes for two peanut subspecies that had never been fully mapped. They then analyzed DNA from 521 peanut accessions collected from around the world to identify genetic variants linked to seed size, oil content, and other key agronomic traits.…