Publication: Georgia Journal of Science
Publication Date: 22-SEP-06
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Jarret, R.L.
Article Excerpt
ABSTRACT
This nations' crop genetic resources are currently conserved in a series of genebanks and clonal repositories that are part of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The largest and most complex assemblage of crop germplasm is held at the NPGS genebank in Griffin, GA. Curators, who are also technical experts, manage the collections of individual taxa and are responsible for the regeneration, characterization, acquisition and distribution of those plant materials. The nature of the duties associated with the management of these germplasm collections, specifically their routine regeneration, results in professional challenges for those technical experts engaged in that and similarly non-technical activities. Various approaches to address this issue including the allocation of resources specifically earmarked for career-enhancing activities of technical professionals, and the clear separation of funding allocated for basic germplasm maintenance activities vs. other activities, are discussed. Also discussed are various means to increase the efficiency of the regeneration process.
Key words: Crop genetic resources, genebank management, germplasm regeneration
Curator. n [L. curatus, pp. of curare to care, fr. cura care] : one that has the care and superintendence of something. (1)
INTRODUCTION
The genetic resources of many of this country's agriculturally important crops and their wild crop relatives are maintained in a series of genebanks, clonal repositories and field stations scattered across the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico (1). These crop genetic resources are held in trust for the present and future generations. In total, this series of genebanks and the people who work in them, are a part of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) (2). The NPGS is a Federal-State--Private Sector cooperative program that is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (3). Arguably the largest and most diverse collection of crop germplasm in the NPGS is maintained in Griffin, GA (4). The Griffin genebank manages seed and plant material of more than 245 genera of plants representing more than 1,400 species. The impact of the activities of the ARS genebank in Griffin extends throughout the U.S. agricultural research community and beyond (1). The management of crop genetic resources and the research associated with their maintenance and use can legitimately be considered high-quality services to society, as have other activities been so recognized (5).
THE ROLE OF CURATORS
Curators, as the term suggests, care for the plant collections in their charge. All curators share a common set of general responsibilities--the maintenance/propagation (regeneration), acquisition, characterization/evaluation and distribution of their assigned taxa. These objectives are in alignment with the objective of the NPGS--that is, ensuring the viability and availability of seed or propagules of a genetically diverse array of germplasm for research in a variety of scientific endeavors (www.ars-grin.gov). In addition to the previous, curators also represent their curatorial programs to customers and stakeholder groups including the general public, review requests for plant material, record data, update the database, and conduct research as time and resources permit.
Regeneration. Ensuring the viability and the availability of genebank accessions are generally acknowledged as, respectively, the primary and secondary priorities of crop genebanks. The viability and/or the availability of seed diminishes over time due to the ageing process and as seed inventories are depleted as requests for seed are processed, respectively. This necessitates the periodic production of fresh seed (Fig. 1). Germplasm maintained as tissue cultures (Fig. 2) or as plants in the field (Fig. 3) or greenhouse must also be periodically propagated to maintain their viability and availability. This process is referred to as regeneration. The need for and the specific processes utilized by curators to regenerate germplasm are varied and depend on the unique characteristics of the taxa involved and other factors. In as much as collections vary widely in the number of taxa and accessions they contain, so does the magnitude of the complexity, effort and cost of the curatorial activities required to adequately manage (acquire, maintain, characterize and distribute) them. Maintenance of genetic integrity during the regeneration process is also a concern and can generally be enhanced by maximizing the time period between regenerations (6) and the utilization of appropriate sample sizes and pollination controls (7). In practice, the regeneration process includes the selection, planting/transplanting and growing of the plant materials, weed control, management of diseases and pests, harvesting of fruit and extracting and cleaning seed. These tasks make regeneration the single most time and labor consuming and therefore resource intensive activity associated with management of ex situ crop germplasm collections (8). This activity typically dominates curator agendas.
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]
[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]
Acquisition. The extent to which the ex situ genetic diversity of a crop species and its related taxa is adequately represented in the genebank varies widely among collections. Thus, programs goals may include the acquisition of additional germplasm. The ease with which germplasm is acquired, and the methods for doing so, are dependent on the taxa involved (9). International plant germplasm exchange and exploration activities are conducted cooperatively with national programs. Since the distribution of most taxa is restricted geographically, accessibility becomes a major factor in determining the likelihood of success in efforts to acquire or exchange plant materials. Collection or exchange...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
More articles from
Georgia Journal of Science
Reptiles and amphibians of Boy Scout Camp Linwood-Hayne: results from an undergraduate-initiated three year opportunistic inventory., 22-SEP-07
Amphiuma (Caudata: Amphiumidae) from the Pleistocene Clark Quarry local fauna of coastal Georgia, 22-JUN-07
GAS President's comments and report from the Academy Council, 22-JUN-07
Looking for additional articles?
Click here to search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Click here to search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information. |
