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NPGS is a cooperative effort
by public (State and Federal) and private organizations to preserve the
genetic diversity of plants.
The world's food supply is
based on intensive agriculture, which relies on genetic uniformity. But
this uniformity increases crop vulnerability to pests and stresses.
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Scientists must have access
to genetic diversity to help bring forth new varieties that can resist
pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. The NPGS aids the scientists
and the need for genetic diversity by:
- acquiring crop germplasm
- preserving crop germplasm
- evaluating crop germplasm
- documenting crop germplasm
- distributing crop germplasm
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Since
many important crop species originate outside the United States, the first
steps toward diversity are acquisition and introduction. New germplasm (accessions)
enter NPGS through
collection, donation by foreign cooperators or international germplasm collections.
An identifying number such as the Plant Introduction number (PI number)
is assigned to each accession. The accession is then evaluated, maintained,
and made available for distribution. |
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Through these efforts, NPGS assists
in improving the quality and
productivity of crops.
Plants
| Animals | Microbes
| Invertebrates | NGRAC
This web server is maintained by
the Database Management
Unit
(DBMU) of the National
Germplasm Resources Laboratory (NGRL),
Plant Sciences Institute (PSI),
Beltsville Agricultural Research
Center
(BARC), Agricultural Research Service,
U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Availability
of the System
Privacy Policy
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
Accessibility Statement
| USDA
| ARS | BA
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Contact:
Peter K. Bretting, National
Program Leader
Plant Germplasm & Genomes
pkb@ars.usda.gov
Phone: (301) 504-5541
Fax: (301) 504-6191
This document maintained by dbmu@ars-grin.gov
Last updated: 23 September 2004
