Relevance:

1
OPGC External Planning Team Recommendations
Relevance 1. Rewrite the OPGC mission statement
to comply with USDA/ARS NP 301 guidelines - 2006
HOCGC meeting. 2. Reduce the number of priority
genera to accommodate current staff levels and
available funds - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 3. Identify
priority species within the revised priority
genera - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 4. Revise
acquisition, maintenance, and seed increase
efforts to reflect reprioritization of taxa -
2006 HOCGC meeting. 5. Develop and prioritize
sound acquisition targets with special
consideration on native US taxa Stopped the
collection of Ohio native plants and discussed at
the 2006 HOCGC meeting. 6. Integrate
collaborative research projects with
reprioritized target taxa - 2006 HOCGC
meeting. 7. Restrict germplasm acquisition and
maintenance activities to OPGC assigned genera
and species - 2006 HOCGC meeting.
2

• Capacity
• Clarify OPGC management and administrative
  structure - Under consideration and planning.
• Reallocate office space Under implementation.
• 10. Phase-out clonal germplasm program - Under
  implementation.
• 11. Refocus in vitro facilities and staff to
  support regeneration and maintenance activities
  Under consideration and planning.
• 12. Eliminate the backlog of adding OPGC
  accession records into the Germplasm Resources
  Information Network (GRIN) - Under
  implementation.
• 13. Try to obtain a staff member dedicated to IT
  activities - Under consideration and planning.
• 14. Minimize current seed regeneration efforts
  until reprioritization activities can be
  completed - Under implementation.
• 15. Maximize operational efficiencies - Under
  consideration and planning.

3
Quality 16. Prepare staff development plans -
Under preparation. 17. Maintain and enhance OPGC
visibility to professional and industry
organizations- Under consideration and
planning. Impact 18. Maintain and enhance
existing technical and scientific collaborations
with academia and industry- Under consideration
and planning.
4
OPGC Motto
Your partner in herbaceous plant germplasm
conservation
5
NP301 Vision Statement Furnishing genetic and
bioinformatic tools, genomic information, and
genetic raw materials to enhance American
agricultural productivity to ensure a high
quality, safe supply of food, fiber, feed,
ornamentals, and industrial products. Proposed
OPGC Vision Statement Furnishing genetic raw
materials and associated information to enhance
American floricultural productivity to ensure a
high quality supply of herbaceous ornamentals.
6
Current OPGC Mission

• We work to conserve and nurture the world wealth
  of herbaceous ornamental plant diversity to bring
  happiness and health to humankind.

7
NP 301 Mission StatementTo safeguard and
utilize plant, microbial, and insect germplasm
(genetic raw material), associated genetic and
genomic databases, and bioinformatic tools to
ensure an abundant, safe, and inexpensive supply
of food, feed, fiber, ornamentals, and industrial
products for the United States and other
nations. Proposed OPGC Mission Statement To
safeguard and utilize herbaceous ornamental plant
germplasm and associated information to ensure an
abundant and high quality supply of herbaceous
ornamentals for the United States and other
nations.
8
Current Goal

• To build the OPGC into the worlds leading
  herbaceous ornamental plant genebank.

9
Current Objectives

• To establish an herbaceous ornamental plant
  genebank as an integrated component of the USDA
  National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS)
• To build a network of cooperators with the
  horticultural industry, universities, botanic
  gardens, USDA, crop specific societies, plant
  conservation groups and individuals
• To build and promote collaborative research in
  herbaceous plant germplasm conservation and
  utilization
• To institute academic programs and short courses
  in germplasm conservation

10
Participation in NPGS Activities

• HOCGC JH, SS, DT Ex-officio
• PGOC JH, SS, DT
• Associate Germplasm Collections Subcommittee DT
• Barcode of Economic Plants Initiative DT
• In situ Collections Subcommittee DT
• Medicinal Plants Subcommittee SS, DT
• Operational Manual Revision Subcommittee DT
• 2005 NPGS Curator Workshop Organization Committee
  and Regeneration Session Chair SS
• Interviewing panel cat. 4 scientist at NCGRP DT

11
OPGC Graduate Students

• PhD Program
• BROE Michael DNA markers (EEOB/GA) Andreas
  Wolfe.
• CHOI, Seongjin MRI studies of seed quality
  (Physics/GA) Chris Hammel.
• CONTRERAS, Samuel Seed development, dormancy,
  vigor and storage (Fulbright Scholar) Mark
  Bennett.
• GESIMBA, Robert Evaluation of Passiflora
  species (USAID Scholar) Dan Struve.
• LUO, Jing Species invasiveness (OSU
  Distinguished Fellowship) John Cardina.
• MWEETWA, Alice Phalaenopsis seed storage Greg
  Welbaum (VT).
• PALUMBO, Rose Pelargonium DNA markers
  Guo-Liang Wang (PP).
• STIEVE, Susan Rudbeckia variation Miller
  McDonald.
• MS Program
• HU, Xiaolei Seed vigor and computerized imaging
  Miller McDonald.
• JEONG, Ka-Yeon Begonia evaluation Claudio
  Pasian.
• RABARA, Roel Seed quality and storage
  (Fulbright Scholar) Miller McDonald.