RoBuST: an integrated genomics resource for the root and bulb crop families Apiaceae and Alliaceae

Background Root and bulb vegetables (RBV) include carrots, celeriac (root celery), parsnips (Apiaceae), onions, garlic, and leek (Alliaceae)—food crops grown globally and consumed worldwide. Few data analysis platforms are currently available where data collection, annotation and integration initiatives are focused on RBV plant groups. Scientists working on RBV include breeders, geneticists, taxonomists, plant pathologists, and plant physiologists who use genomic data for a wide range of activities including the development of molecular genetic maps, delineation of taxonomic relationships, and investigation of molecular aspects of gene expression in biochemical pathways and disease responses. With genomic data coming from such diverse areas of plant science, availability of a community resource focused on these RBV data types would be of great interest to this scientific community.