National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee

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National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee

• Lee Sommers, Chair
• Colorado State University

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Committee Members

• Lee Sommers, CO, chair
• Ken Grafton, ND
• Gerry Arkin, GA
• Ann Marie Thro, CSREES
• Ed Kaleikau, CSREES
• P. S. Benepal, CSREES
• Peter Bretting, ARS-NPS
• Dwayne Buxton, ARS-PWA
• Candace Gardner, ARS-IA
• Tom Fretz, NE ED

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Vision for NPGCC
Promote a stronger, more efficient, widely
recognized and better utilized NPGS
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Goals

• To facilitate the coordination of ARS, CSREES
  and SAES planning and assessment mechanisms for
  NPGS policy, organization, operations and support
• To promote awareness and understanding of the
  NPGS across ARS, CSREES, and SAES and more
  broadly to the scientific community
• To serve as a vehicle for improving
  communications and discussions about issues
  impacting the NPGS with ARS, SAES, and CSREES

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Objectives

• Assess, develop and recommend to the SAES
  directors, ARS and CSREES strategies for improved
  coordination of NPGS activities
• Develop and recommend to the SAES directors, ARS
  and CSREES a process for improved communication
  of the value of the NPGS
• Initiate a strategic planning effort for the NPGS
  to better define and communicate the vision,
  mission and short- and long-term goals.
• Evaluate the current funding models for the NPGS
  and report findings to the SAES directors, ARS
  and CSREES

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Distribution of Germplasm by NPGS
Note USComm US commercial ForNC Foreign
non commercial Other US non commercial,
Foreign commercial,
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Recommendations of the NPGCCto ESS
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NPGCC recommendations regarding the conclusions
of the 2005 External Review of ARS National
Program 301

• NPGCC supports the External Review recommendation
  that the NPGS develop strategic plans for
  building germplasm collections that address
  customer needs, ensure germplasm facilities are
  aligned with conservation goals, and conserve
  critical genetic and genomic collections.
• NPGCC recommends that such planning be conducted
  jointly by ARS-SAES-CSREES. This may require a
  new joint committee or task force.
• NPGCC supports the External Review recommendation
  that ARS assume greater leadership to safeguard
  plant, microbe, and insect collections.

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NPGCC recommendations regarding the conclusions
of the 2005 External Review of ARS National
Program 301

• The NPGCC supports the External Review
  recommendation that ARS work towards a
  replacement of GRIN that ensures compatibility
  with other emerging genetic databases and takes
  into account user needs.

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NPGCC recommends a joint ARS-SAES-CSREES effort
to

• Develop a public communication and marketing
  strategy
• Address and publicize inherent value of plant
  germplasm collections
• Need for public investment

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NPGS is critical to US and World agriculture

• SAES researchers constitute the largest group of
  users for NPGS germplasm, but, in contrast, SAES
  direct financial support for the NPGS is
  disproportionately low.
• Source of germplasm for public and private sector
  plant breeding programs
• Funding Retain Current Approach
• NRSP-6 Off-the-top Hatch potato germplasm
• W-6, NC-7,NE-9,S-9 Regional Off-the-top

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Possible Funding Models

• Fund NRSP-6 and 4 regional centers with a single
  annual off-the-top Hatch
• Fixed amount per SAES
• Variable amount proportional to Hatch funds
• Other alternatives?

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Increase NRI Funding for Plant Germplasm Research

• Enhance or increase opportunities for research on
  utilization of materials in NPGS
• Genetic characterization
• Genomics for crop improvement