Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization History

The Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit (PGRCU) was established on November 1, 1949 as a cooperative effort supported by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Southern State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SSAES). Crop collections of importance, especially to the Southern Region (SR), have been supported since 1949 through this joint partnership designated as Multistate Research Project S-9. For more than fifty-eight years, the S-9 Project has served as a major component of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The PGRCU/S-9 Project is located on the Griffin Campus of the University of Georgia (UGA), College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The S-9 germplasm collection has grown to more than 88,300 accessions representing 251 genera and 1,493 taxa of 1,378 species. These accessions are maintained as a shield against genetic vulnerability (the inaccessibility of genes for host-plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses) and as potential solutions to the challenges to U.S. agriculture, particularly in the SR. We provide germplasm and data promptly, enabling their rapid mobilization in response to national emergencies or for long-range, high-risk research. Dissemination of information is through the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).