Mission:
The Crop Germplasm Research Unit reflects the ARS Program Plan of mission oriented research and is related to needs not addressed by the private sector, non-ARS research agencies, or are uniquely suited to the ARS program. Included are integrated studies of introduction, classification, and maintenance of germplasm, elucidation of cellular and molecular DNA characteristics, identification of germplasm with useful characteristics such as disease and insect resistance and quality factors, determination of genetic control of these characteristics, and development of genomic and evaluation systems to more efficiently detect and utilize diverse germplasm. Several crop species are included. Research on warm season forage grasses emphasizes evaluation of reproductive systems and cooperative research to develop improved germplasm and cultivars. Pecan research focuses on host-plant resistance, genetic improvement, production of improved cultivars, and curation of the National Repository for Pecan and Hickory Germplasm and their characterization and evaluation. Sorghum research emphasizes evaluation and enhancement of germplasm with emphasis on molecular genetics, curation of genetic stocks, and fungal diseases. Cotton research includes curation of the National Cotton Germplasm Collection, genetic stocks, and CottonDB; evaluation and enhancement with emphasis on classical and molecular genetics; and biotechnology of the development and control of fiber and seed quality.