Project Number: 1910-21000-016-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Sep 13, 2003
End Date: Apr 15, 2008

Objective:
Acquire and maintain genetic resources and associated information for tomatoes, vegetable Brassica crops, onion (bulb and bunching), other minor vegetables (celery, radish, winter squash, tomatillo) and buckwheat to provide adequate genetic resources for distribution to our user community. Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of germplasm maintenance through the application of gnomic sequencing and molecular marker techniques in genetic characterization and refinement of the germplasm collections. Increase the utilization of conserved germplasm through enhanced accessibility, documentation, and training in small-scale seed production.

Approach:
The goal of the project is to provide a broad spectrum of genetic resources to meet needs for maintaining and improving production of important vegetable crops including tomatoes, onions, and vegetable crucifers, which together account for 46% of the vegetable production value of the United States. This goal will be met by a) acquiring and maintaining genetic resources and associated information of these taxa to meet seed requests of the user community, b) applying molecular marker techniques to genetically characterize germplasm to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of germplasm maintenance including reducing redundancy, identifying gaps in genetic diversity and reducing genetic drift during regeneration, and c) enhancing utilization and value of the collection through characterization and evaluation for important descriptors, acquisition and targeted germplasm collection to fill gaps in genetic diversity and promoting awareness of the value of the collection and encouraging on-farm conservation of heirloom varieties. In the next five years the major activities of the project will emphasize upgrading standards for viability and number of seed stored in the active and base collections. Characterization for minimal descriptor lists will be completed for tomatoes, Crucifers, and onions. The primary link with users will be through CGCs that define crop priorities for collection and evaluation.