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| National
Plant Germplasm System |
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NPGS is a cooperative effort
by public (State and Federal) and private organizations to preserve the
genetic diversity of plants (view our Seeds
for Our Future booklet).
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. The GRIN
database is managed by the Database
Management Unit
(DBMU),
while the acquisition of plants is managed by the Plant Exchange Office
(PEO).
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