The National Plant Germplasm System NPGS

1
The National Plant Germplasm System NPGS

• A three-way partnership
• ARS CSREES SAES
• Information compiled by Ann Marie Thro
• National Program Leader, Plant Breeding
  Genetics
• athro_at_csrees.usda.gov

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The National Plant Germplasm System

• Jeffersonian origins
• 1946 Agricultural Marketing Act
• Basis for the federal / state partnership that
  emerged for germplasm resources.
• Today More valuable than ever before

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Converging political scientific factors make
the NPGS more valuable than ever

• New tools from molecular genetics and informatics
  
• Powerful for characterization, selection, and
  collection management
• Consumer interest in diversity of foods
• Added value, new market niches, new jobs
• Era of change in American crops cropping
  systems
• A long period of security and stability appears
  to be ending
• Globalization, climate change, natural disasters,
  terrorism
• International markets demand specific new quality
  traits
• Increasingly restrictions on collecting new
  germplasm

4
CSREES funding for NPGS

• Over 3 million per year, five-yr average
• Three sources
• 1 off-the-top Hatch appropriation, through
  NRSP-6
• Multistate Research Fund (MRF) (25 of Hatch
  approp.)
• Four multi-state research projects
• State Hatch allocations to SAES researchers in
  the four projects
• MRF funds, five-yr ave. for the multi-state
  projects
• S-9 1,066,576/yr W-6
  624,171/yr
• NC-7 841,026/yr NE-9
  309,110/yr
• Projects funded 10 through CSREES
• 90 ARS

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CSREES funds additional research on plant genetic
resources biodiversity

• CSREES Knowledge Area (KA) 202 includes
• All research on plant genetic resources, NPGS
  plus other
• Total funding about 10.5 million/yr
• Hatch (incl. NPGS 3 million) 6
  million/yr
• Special Grants
  2 million/yr
• Other (e.g., IFAFS Federal Admin)
  900,000/yr
• Natl. Research Initiative (NRI) 825,000/yr
• 
  (five-yr averages)

6
Funding through CSREES supports multiple levels
of SAES participationin NPGS planning
management

• Four multistate NPGS projects
• Correspond to regional sites
• Broad-based membership
• Convened by SAESs
• Over 40 Crop Germplasm Committees
• Broad-based membership
• Convened by ARS
• New National Plant Germplasm Coordinating
  Committee
• Supports communication among ARS, CSREES, SAES

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NPGS funding through CSREES engages multiple
levels of SAES decision making

• Off-the-top Hatch funds allocated to NRSP 6
• Decided at ESCOP level
• MRF Hatch funds to the multi-state NPGS projects
  
• Decided by regional SAES Directors Associations
• State Hatch funds to SAES researchers in NPGS
  projects
• Decided by state SAES directors

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NC-7 Conservation, Management, Enhancement and
Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources (Ames IA)

• Emphasis 12 crops / crop groups
• Maize, sunflower, root and bulb vegetables,
  forage and turf grass, crucifer, herbaceous
  ornamentals, woody landscape plants, leafy
  vegetable, cucurbits, clover and special purpose
  forage legumes
• Approximately 84,100 accessions
• (largest of the four)

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Research using NC-7 germplasm

• KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
• Accessions of Brassica napus
• Used in developing germplasm base for breeding
  adapted canola cultivars for the southern Great
  Plains
• Canola in a Great Plains rotation can net
  additional 50/acre compared to wheat alone

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Research using NC-7 germplasm

• OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
• Interspecific populations of cultivated
  Lycopersicon esculentum wild tomato species L.
  pimpinellifolium and L. hirsutum
• Discovered QTLs associated with resistance to
  bacterial canker and improved color
• Will lead to varieties with higher level of
  resistance to bacterial disease.
• Reduce costs, reduce losses of yield and quality
  for Great Lakes tomato growers

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NE-9 Conservation and Utilization of Plant
Genetic Resources (Geneva NY)

• Emphasis 12 crops, or crop groups
• Tomato, onion, selected crucifers, celery,
  winter squash, radish, other vegetables, and
  buckwheat
• Clonal collections include apple, grape, and
  cherry
• Approximately 11,800 accessions

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Research using NE-9 germplasm

• CORNELL UNIV Plant Breeding, Horticulture,
  Cooperative Extension
• NORTH EAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOC of New York, Inc
• ARS/USDA
• THE PUBLIC SEED INITIATIVE IFAFS-funded
• Few if any varieties in seed trade bred for the
  Northeast
• Helped access NPGS materials for small seed
  companies, organic systems  
• Trained farmers and small-scale seed companies in
  vegetable seed production and in on-farm breeding
  
• Outputs
• 46 varieties newly available to farmers and
  gardeners
• 43 commercial licenses, including via organic
  seed catalogues
• Over 1000 participants, 7000 observers in 40
  community seed days
• Potential impacts
• Economic vitality of local businesses
• Viability of NE agric.  

13
S-9 Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and
Utilization (Griffin, GA)

• Emphasis 15 crops/crop groups
• Capsicum, clover, special purpose forage legumes,
  cucurbit, warm season turf grass, peanut,
  sorghum, sweet potato, cowpea, vegetables (okra,
  pepper, watermelon, squash, eggplant, gourds),
  mung bean, legumes (guar, winged bean), bamboo,
  castor bean, sesame, pearl millet
• Approximately 47,800 accessions

14
Research using S-9 germplasm

• NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
• Accessions of A. duranensis were found with high
  levels of resistance to aflatoxin production
• ESTs (expressed sequence tags) being developed to
  allow use in germplasm enhancement and breeding

15
W-6 Plant Genetic Research Conservation and
Utilization (Pullman WA)

• Emphasis 9 crops/crop groups
• Forage and turf grasses, beans, cool season food
  legumes (pea, lentil, chickpea, fava bean,
  lupine, etc.), lettuce, safflower, onion
  relatives, and forage legume crops, selected
  ornamental and medicinal species
• Approximately 72,400 accessions

16
Research using W-6 germplasm

• NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
• NPGS alfalfa populations
• One population appears to be highly water-
  efficient
• Heterosis-- Several hybrids between the
  populations outperformed best commercial
  varieties for forage yield

17
NRSP-6 Inter-Regional Potato Introduction
Project (Sturgeon Bay WI)

• Emphasis Potatoes and related wild species
• Approximately 5,600 accessions

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Research using NRSP-6 germplasm

• UNIV OF WISCONSIN and ARS
• A CLADE-BASED SEARCH FOR
• GENOME REARRANGEMENTS AND
• USEFUL DIVERSITY IN SOLANUM NRI-funded
• Wild species Solanum paucissectum, a distant
  relative of cultivated potatoes
• New diversity for cultivated potatoes
• New form of resistance to late blight, an
  important worldwide disease of potato

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Accountability Measurable outputs from NPGS
research

• New or better methods for conservation or
  preservation, developed or implemented
  
• Accessions added to collections, via exploration
  or exchange
• Accessions newly characterized or evaluated
  
• New data available in public databases
• More

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Measurable outputs from NPGS research

• New sources of valuable traits identified
  
• New genetic markers identified
• New genes cloned
• New traits studied
• New populations developed from crosses to
  breeders materials
  
• Advanced populations developed via selection
  recombination
• Advanced or experimental germplasm released or
  licensed
• Varieties released
  

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Plant germplasm is valuable for the future . . .

• . . . if it is collected and conserved
• . . . if we understand it and know how to use it
• Inter-agency collaboration in NPGS
• amplifies available resources
• extends ability to conserve, understand, use,
  -- and benefit