National Plant Germplasm System

1
National Plant Germplasm System Network of public
private organizations dedicated to preserving
genetic diversity Coordinated by ARS Est. in
1862 1st controlled introduction was a cabbage
from Russia-1898 PI 1 Today gt450,000 PIs
across 10,000 species adding about 10,000 per
year Distribute about 200,000 accessions/yr.
2
National Plant Germplasm System Collection
contains Domestic and foreign plants wild and
weedy relatives of crop species cultivars inbred
parental lines elite breeding lines some rare
and endangered species genetic stocks (as long
term storage at Ft. Collins but these are
maintained by a single scientist(s), e.g. cotton
by Kohel and Stelly at C.S.)
3
National Plant Germplasm System What is
germplasm? Living tissue from which new plants
can be grown i.e. seeds, plant tissue, pollen,
or even a few cells Why collect germplase? keys
to genetic diversity for such things as
resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses,
nutritional quality, pharmaceuticals,
etc. natural habitat of many crop species is
being lost to urbanization and natural
phenomenon such as drought, etc.
4
National Plant Germplasm System Components 1.
National Seed Storage Lab Ft. Collins base
collection long term 2. Regional Plant
Introduction Stations SE Griffin, GA NE
Geneva, NY NC Ames, IA W Pullman, WA 3.
Crop Specific Working Collections 9 locations,
similar to the 4 regional stations except they
work with 1 or a few crops Cotton College
Station Barley Aberdeen, ID Rice Aberdeen,
ID Sorghum Griffin GA
5
National Plant Germplasm System Components
(contd) 4. National Clonal Repositories (10)
storage of living material such as trees and
ornamentals. Apples Geneva, NY Papaya Hilo,
HI Hickory Brownwood, TX Peaches Davis,
CA 5. National Germplasm Resources Lab in
Beltsville, MD responsible for oversight of
exploration, exchange with other countries,
cataloguing all incoming accessions (assigns PI
numbers), distributes to varies points in the
system. 6. Crop Germplasm Committees 7. GRIN
computer data base (http//www.ars-grin.gov/)
6
 
7
National Plant Germplasm System Storage (constant
research into new and better storage
systems.) Dry seed 6 or less moisture (sealed
in moisture proof containers) -20 to 5 C
can last from a few years to centuries,
depending on species Cryopreservation over
liquid nitrogen (-196 C) Tissue culture
experimental (storage of a few cells) Student
should be familiar with handout Seeds for our
Future, USDA-ARS 1470
8

• CGIAR and World Genebanks
• Consultative Group on International Agricultural
  Research (CGIAR), a consortium of 16
  International Centers plays a major role in
  genetic or biodiversity preservation
• Collect, characterize, and conserve PLANT, FISH,
  TREES, and LIVESTOCK diversity
• 11 of 16 Intl Ctrs. involved
• Over 700,000 plant (incldg trees) accessions
  (2003)
• Over 500,000 designated In Trust
  collaboratively with UN FAO
• Must be made available without restriction to
  researchers around the world (Pre 1994, today
  ??)
• NO IPP can be applied to material (pre 1994,
  today??)

9

• CGIAR and Genebanks (contd)
• Total CGIAR holdings among the largest in the
  world
• Arguably most important genebank for poor/global
  food security
• Countries emerging from wars/conflicts
• Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Somalia
• Recovery after natural disasters
• Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and Nicaragua
• 1,000,000 seed samples distributed in 1990s
• 80 to national AES around the world for
  development of improved cultivars
• seed movement with a Material Transfer Agreement
  (MTA) based on pre 1994 or post 1994 CBD
  (resulted from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (U.S.
  not a signatory)

10
CGIAR/International Center MTA MATERIAL TRANSFER
AGREEMENT FOR PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES HELD IN
TRUST BY THE CENTRE1 This MTA covers materials
which are being transferred before the entry into
force of the International Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The
Treaty envisages that the Centre will enter
into an agreement with the Governing Body of the
Treaty, once the Treaty enters into force.
TheCentre has indicated its intention to
conclude such an agreement with the Governing
Body. This agreement, in line with the Treaty,
will provide for new MTAs and benefit-sharing
arrangements for materials transferred after the
entry into force of the agreement.
11
CGIAR/International Center MTA (contd) The plant
genetic resources (hereinafter referred to as the
material) contained herein are being furnished
by the Centre under the following conditions
The Centre is making the material described in
the attached list available as part of its policy
of maximizing the utilization of material for
research, breeding and training. The material was
either developed by the Centre or was acquired
prior to the entry into force of the Convention
on Biological Diversity or if it was acquired
after the entering into force of the Convention
on Biological Diversity, it was obtained with the
understanding that it could be made available for
any agricultural research, breeding and training
purposes under the terms and conditions set out
in the agreement between the Centre and FAO
dated 26 October 1994.
12
CGIAR/International Center MTA The material is
held in trust under the terms of this agreement,
and the recipient has no rights to obtain
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) on the
material or related information. The recipient
may utilize and conserve the material for
research, breeding and training and may
distribute it to other parties provided such
other parties accept the terms and conditions of
this agreement. The recipient, therefore, hereby
agrees not to claim ownership over the material,
nor to seek IPRs over that material, or its
genetic parts or components, in the form
received. The recipient also agrees not to seek
IPRs over related information received. The
recipient further agrees to ensure that any
subsequent person or institution to whom he/she
may make samples of the material available, is
bound by the same provisions and undertakes to
pass on the same obligations to future recipients
of the material.
13
CGIAR/International Center MTA The recipient,
therefore, hereby agrees not to claim ownership
over the material, nor to seek IPRs over that
material, or its genetic parts or components, in
the form received. The recipient also agrees not
to seek IPRs over related information
received. CommentsBefore 1994 (CBD) the above
statement was true. After 1994, countries who
signed the CBD seek to obtain IPR on all
material, feral or domesticated. e.g. Mexico
recently (2003) initiated a policy that restricts
the amount of seed of any species that can be
taken out of the country. Most English speaking
countries are not signators of the CBD. The U.S.
would most likely agree to a flat fee of some
sort for collections but allowing a country or a
farmer to claim IPR creates a morass of
bureaucracy. A country, Mexico e.g., will require
that you take only a small sample of a collected
sample, agree not to transform the accession and
not to give the accession to anyone else (What
the use of trying to preserve diversity if we can
only place it in a locked vault?)
14
CGIAR Collections (2003) International Center for
Tropical Agri. (CIAT) - Cali, Colombia Cassava
5,728 Forages 18,138 Bean 31,718 International
Maize Wheat Imp. Ctr (CIMMYT) -
Mexico Maize 20,411 Wheat 95,113 International
Potato Center (CIP) Lima, Peru Andean Roots
Tubers 1,112 Sweet Potato 6,413 Potato 5,057
International Rice Research Inst. (IRRI) Los
Banos, Philippines Rice 80,617
15
CGIAR Collections (2003) Internl Center for
Agri. in Dry Areas (ICARDA) Aleppo,
Syria Barley 24,218 Chickpea 9,116 Faba Bean
9,074 Wheat 30,270 Forages 24,581 Lentil
7,827 Internl Crops Res. Inst. Semi-Arid
Trop.(ICRISAT) Patancheru, India Chickpea 16,961
Groundnut 14,357 (peanut) Pearl
Millet 21,250 Pigeonpea 12,698 Sorghum 35,780 Mino
r Millets 9,050
16
CGIAR Collections (2003) International Inst. for
Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan,
Nigeria Bambara 2,029 Groundnut
2,158 Cassava 15,001 Cowpea 1,909 Soybean
1,904 Wild Vigna 1,634 Yam 2,878 International
Livestock Res. Institute (ILRI) Nairobi,
Kenya Forages 11,537 International Plant Genetic
Resources Inst. (IPGRI) Maccarese, Italy Musa
931 (banana and plantain developing worlds
4th most important crop)
17
CGIAR Collections (2003) West Africa Rice
Develop. Assoc. (WARDA) Bouake, Cote
dIvoire Rice 14,917 World Agroforestry Center
Nairobi, Kenya Sesbania 25 Total CGIAR
Collection 532,508
18

• International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
  (IPGRI)
• Maintains the collection of Musa
• International Institute charged with oversight
  of genetic resources and biodiversity collection
  and preservation
• System-wide Information Network for Genetic
  Resources (SINGER)
• Provide training for scientists in gene
  preservation
• Over 1300 national and regional genebank
  collections are associated (but independent)
  with IPGRI
• Only about 400 of these maintained under long or
  medium-term storage conditions such as USDAs
  collection