Cannabis sativa L. is a globally cultivated plant with significant industrial, nutritional, and medicinal value. Its genome, comprising nine autosomes and sex chromosomes (X and Y), has been extensively studied, particularly in the context of precise breeding for specific enduses. Recent advances have facilitated genome-wide analyses through platforms like the NCBI Comparative Genome Viewer (CGV) and CannabisGDB, among others, enabling comparative studies across multiple Cannabis genotypes. Despite the abundance of genomic data, a particular group of transposable elements, known as miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs), remains underexplored in Cannabis. These elements are non-autonomous class II DNA transposons characterized by high copy numbers and insertion preference in non-coding regions, potentially affecting gene expression. In the present study, we report the sequence annotation of MITEs in wild-type and domesticated Cannabis genomes obtained using the MITE Tracker software. We also develop a simple and innovative protocol to identify genome-specific MITE families, offering valuable tools for future research on marker development focused on important genetic variation for breeding in Cannabis sativa.

One of chickpea crops’ most devastating and economically relevant fungal diseases is Ascochyta rabiei , the causal agent of Ascochyta blight. The traditional agricultural management of the disease requires a complex combination of cultural, chemical, and genetic strategies. To develop a more effective management strategy, with low economic and environmental costs, we isolated 43 endophytic bacteria from asymptomatic chickpea plants native to our soil’s region. We tested their antifungal effect with mycelial growth and conidia germination inhibition tests. Our best candidate was NKG50 isolate, which inhibited A. rabiei growth by more than 85% in the dual test, more than 65% by cell-free supernatants, and inhibited conidia germination by 90%. This antagonistic ability was confirmed in leaflet and greenhouse assays, with a significant reduction in disease severity in both scales. The isolated NKG50 genome was completely sequenced and identified as Bacillus velezensis NKG50. We found 13 gene clusters associated with secondary metabolites, and five of them with an unknown function and or nature previously reported for B. velezensis . This study demonstrated for the first time that B. velezensis NKG50 is a strong candidate for the biocontrol of Ascochyta blight in Argentina.