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Crop genetics: chrysanthemums that cope with water Researchers in China have identified several genes that help chrysanthemum plants withstand waterlogging. Fadi Chen’s team at Nanjing Agricultural University used high-throughput sequencing to search for correlations between genetic mutations and waterlogging tolerance in 88 chrysanthemum varieties. One analysis method identified 137 mutations linked to waterlogging tolerance, while a second uncovered 14 mutations. Comparing the two lists revealed 11 mutations common to both. Six of these mutations could improve waterlogging response by 25%, and the team found that the mutations could be combined to improve performance even further. The team developed and tested a genetic marker to identify one of the high-tolerance mutations, demonstrating how this information may help breeders. They also identified four genes linked with the 137 mutations. Altogether, these findings point the way towards breeding chrysanthemums with greater waterlogging tolerance.