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In a world where circumstances are changing rapidly, that matters.
在一個環境瞬息萬變的世界里，這么做很重要。
A study published in 2016, for example, estimated that shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns could, by 2069, decrease chickpea yield in parts of the world by almost 20%.
例如，2016年發表的一項研究估計，到2069年，氣溫和降雨模式的變化可能使世界部分地區鷹嘴豆產量下降近20%。
Building on an initial map of more than 28,000 chickpea genes, published by ICRISAT in 2013, Dr Varshney's team sequenced 3,171 cultivated chickpeas and 195 wild examples taken from collections around the world.
ICRISAT于2013年公布了一份包含2.8萬多個鷹嘴豆基因的初始圖譜，瓦爾什尼博士的團隊對3171個栽培鷹嘴豆和195個來自世界各地的野生樣本進行了測序。
That added 1,582 previously unknown genes to the list, including ones that encode responses to environmental factors such as cold, acidity and oxidative stress.
這就增加了1582個以前未知的基因，包括對寒冷、酸度和氧化應激等環境因素反應的基因進行編碼。
The result is the most comprehensive genetic map of any vegetable species.
結果是所有蔬菜物種中最全面的遺傳圖譜。
Crucially, the samples came with useful data about the characteristics of the plants they were taken from, known in the argot as their phenotype.
至關重要的是，這些樣本提供了關于它們所采集的植物特征的有用數據，在行業術語中被稱為它們的表現型（顯型）。
That allowed the team to cross-correlate between genotype and phenotype, identifying which bits of the former appeared responsible for what parts of the latter.
這使得研究小組能夠在基因型和表現型之間進行交叉關聯，確定前者的哪些部分與后者的哪些部分有關。
As a consequence, they think they have identified 24 haplotypes that do useful things like increasing seed weight, improving yield per plant and reducing the time it takes for a plant to become mature enough to flower.
因此，他們認為他們已經確定了24種單倍型，對增加種子重量、提高單株產量和縮短植物成熟開花所需的時間等有很大幫助。
Looking back at the original collections, they found around 80% of cultivars lacked these beneficial blocks of genes, suggesting there was considerable room for improvement.
回顧最初的收集，他們發現大約80%的品種缺少這些有益的基因塊，這表明還有很大的改進空間。
Knowing exactly which genes are involved means the process of breeding in those improvements can be done quickly.
確切地知道哪些基因參與其中意味著可以很快完成這些改進的育種過程。
Instead of waiting for a plant to grow and mature, you can check its genes shortly after it has germinated, and throw it away if you do not want it.
不用等植物生長和成熟，你可以在植物發芽后不久檢查它的基因，如果你不想要的話，就把它扔掉。
Upgrades suitably developed, the question will be how to get them into the wider world.
如果育種過程完成升級，那么問題將是如何讓它們進入更廣闊的世界。
Dr Varshney says that big agricultural and seed companies tend to have limited interest in chickpeas.
瓦爾什尼博士說，大型農業和種子公司對鷹嘴豆的興趣往往有限。
That means more reliance on smaller firms and co-operatives for distribution.
這意味著更多地依靠小公司和合作社進行分銷。
If this can be done, though, the humble chickpea will join the big boys like rice and soyabeans as crops whose genes have been analysed for the betterment of human nutrition.
不過，如果能做到這一點，不起眼的鷹嘴豆將加入大米和大豆等大的農作物行列。這些經過基因分析的農作物，可以改善人類營養。
