National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee

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National Plant Germplasm Coordinating Committee

• Joint SAES-ARS-CSREES Committee

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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/ Eric Young, S 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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ESS Request based on Tahoe Discussions

• Evaluate options for funding the 4 regional plant
  germplasm programs
• NE-9 Cornell, Geneva
• S-9 Georgia, Griffin
• NC-7 Iowa State, Ames
• W-6 Washington State, Pullman
• Current funding
• 80 USDA-ARS
• 20 SAES off the top regional funds

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NRSP Contributing Projects

• NRSP-5
• Virus-free fruit germplasm
• Washington State, Pullman
• 50 national off the top
• 50 contracts, grants, WSU
• NRSP-6
• Potato germplasm
• University of Wisconsin, Sturgeon Bay
• 20 national off the top
• 80 USDA-ARS

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Background Context

• SAES scientists largest user of NPGS
• About 40 of NPGS collections are held at the 4
  regional centers at LGUs
• About 60 of germplasm distributed annually is
  from 4 regional centers
• Regional off the top is lt20 of budget with ARS
  contributing gt80
• Future ability to respond depends on access to
  plant germplasm

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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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Funding Models Evaluated

• Create a single NRSP for regional centers plus
  NRSP-5 and 6
• Incorporation of NRSP-5 and NRSP-6 into off the
  top budgets for regional centers
• Full funding of the 4 regional centers by
  USDA-ARS
• Continue funding of regional centers by regional
  off the top

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Recommendation to SAES

• Continue regional off the top to fund regional
  NPGS centers
• Allows regional flexibility
• More potential problems than benefits with
  alternative funding approaches
• No obvious easy way to incorporate NRPSs

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Recommendation for NRSP-5 and NRSP-6

• NRSP Oversight Committee supported in efforts to
  diversify funding
• Important to NPGS and ongoing public funding
  required
• Recommend to ESCOP that 2008 commitments to
  NRSP-5 and -6 be stabilized at FY06 level

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Other Recommendations

• Add a 4th SAES rep to the NPGCC one rep per
  region
• NPGCC meet annually with the Plant Germplasm
  Operations Committee

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Next Steps

• Through Exec Director, each region will
  communicate support or concerns/suggestions to
  ESCOP
• Ask ESCOP to share views of regional associations
  with NRSP Oversight Committee
• NRSP funding recommendations will presented at
  regional summer and for a vote at the ESS fall
  meetings