Mission of the Crop Germplasm Research Unit

This Research Unit reflects the ARS Program Plan of mission-oriented research and is related to needs in areas not addressed by the private sector. Included are integrated studies of:

• the introduction, classification, and maintenance of germplasm,
• elucidation of cellular and molecular DNA characteristics,
• identification of germplasm with useful characteristics such as pest resistance and quality factors,
• determination of genetic control of these characteristics,
• and development of genome mapping and evaluation systems to more efficiently detect and utilize diverse germplasm.