The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (1991) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-20
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Managing genetic resources, therefore, is a strategic necessity for the United States. Preservation of the tissues, seeds, and plants that comprise the nation's plant germplasm resources is the responsibility of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS)
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At the same time, concerns about the loss of biological resources place an ever greater significance on germplasm management and conservation, and on a growing international role for the NPGS. By conserving the genetic diversity of crop species and their wild relatives, the NPGS contributes to national and international efforts that address the loss of biological diversity.
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GERMPLASM: A RESOURCE AND A RESPONSIBILITY Germplasm includes older and current crop varieties, specialized breeding lines used to develop new varieties and hybrids, landraces of crops that have emerged over centuries of selection by farmers, wild plants related to individual crops, and mutant genetic stocks maintained for research, particularly when gathered together in organized collections of plants, seeds, or tissues. Germplasm collections can range from plants maintained in greenhouse or field plantings, to dried seeds in sealed envelopes held at low temperatures, to in vitro cultures of tissues or buds.
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEM The management of plant germplasm was formalized in 1898 when efforts to introduce useful plants were concentrated in the newly created USDA Plant Introduction Office. The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 led to the creation of the USDA regional plant introduction stations in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and to the opening of the National Seed Storage Laboratory (NSSL)
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Sites or units of major importance are the · National Seed Storage Laboratory located in Fort Collins, Colorado, for long-term, back-up storage of the NPGS collections. Of its more than 230,000 accessions, about 60,000 are not duplicated at other sites.
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Facilities' equipment, services, and personnel at NPGS collections are frequently provided as in-kind support by the state agricultural experiment stations and universities where germplasm facilities are located. Private industry has also provided support for specific projects or activities, such as the Latin American Maize Project, which seeks to evaluate a broad range of maize germplasm from Latin America.
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These include the · National Plant Genetic Resources Board (NPGRB) , which according to its charter advises the secretary of agriculture and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges on national
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It is an ad hoc assembly of ARS research leaders and site managers of major NPGS sites or activities, but it has no direct authority over the NPGS. · Germplasm Matrix Team, chaired by the national program leader for plant Germplasm and comprised of the ARS agricultural science adviser for plant Germplasm and the ARS national program leaders responsible for research planning on commodities or subjects generally related to Germplasm use (e.g., range, pasture and forage crops, plant health)
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Administration The administrative and advisory organization of the National Plant Germplasm System should be structured to provide for efficient national coordination. The need to coordinate nationally a variety of activities and agencies and to respond to growing international relationships has made efficient management of the national system an imperative.
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It may become difficult for the NPGS to obtain cooperation from larger services, and its visibility in the USDA budget process might lessen. Separation from ARS may also distance germplasm work from the basic research that has been important to advancing NPGS activities.
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The influence of the area directors would be reduced and germplasm program planning would not be the responsibility of the National Program Staff or the Germplasm Matrix Team. The budget for the NPGS should be separate and distinct from other ARS activities and should be directly related to identified needs and priorities.
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plant genetic resources activities, the board should elect a chair from its membership, and its members should equally represent the government offices or agencies contributing to U.S. germplasm activities and the broad user community, including industry, universities, and the private nonprofit sectors.
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The distinction between regional plant introduction stations, which are viewed as being supported by both the ARS and the states within their respective revisions, and national clonal germplasm repositories, which are considered as having more national focus, should be eliminated. These facilities should be designated as national plant germplasm centers.
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Facilities and programs of the National Plant GermpZasm System should undergo periodic external review. National germplasm centers and crop-specific collections should be
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An irrigated site in the arid desert of the southwest United States where diseases and pests are less abundant is also needed to maintain the germplasm of crops, such as jojoba, some sorghum and beans, several grasses, and selected small grains. She Mission of the National System The National Plant Germplasm System should develop clear, concise goals and policies that encompass the conservation of plant genetic resources that reflect the worId's biological!
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While the NPGS has accepted responsibility for several collections that are designated as part of an international network, the Department of State defines and manages international relations. No cohesive, scientifically based policy exists to guide the nation's international activities related to plant genetic resources.
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The National Plant Germplasm System should cooperate with other nations to conserve, collect, maintain, and regenerate germplasm Many nations are now becoming reluctant to allow the indiscriminate collection and exchange of germplasm. The United States must seek policies that promote open and cooperative collection, management, and exchange, and that include opportunities to promote in situ conservation of important resources.
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Research is essential to sustain an effective genetic resources management system. For example, seed biology studies are the basis for developing nondestructive methods for assessing seed viability; cryobiology research could lead to extended storage of in vitro cultures or short-lived seed; population genetics efforts could improve collection, maintenance, and regeneration methods; and biotechnology research may enable more efficient and rapid use of the genes contained in germplasm collections.
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Framing guidelines for proposals and awarding grants could be the responsibility of the research advisory committee, proposed above. With the appropriate administrative organization, the NPGS would become an effective mechanism for ensuring agricultural security, both nationally and internationally.
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