Crop Germplasm Introduction and Preservation
The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, has a systematic program for introducing plant germplasm and providing for its evaluation, use, and preservation. New introductions are obtained mainly through correspondence, planned explorations, and P.L. 480 projects. Incoming materials are inspected, checked for proper nomenclature, documented in published inventories, and distributed. Four Regional Plant Introduction Stations are the prime receivers of the germplasm on a crop priority basis. Seeds are obtainable from working stocks of these stations and the Small Grains Collection. Long-term preservation of seed is the responsibility of the National Seed Storage Laboratory. Plant materials such as cultivars, inbred lines, genetic stocks, and plant introductions are stored under favorable conditions. Agronomic, horticultural, forest, and aesthetic crop seeds are all qualified for storage. There are more than 82,600 accessions in storage.
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Author(s): George A. White, Howard L. Hyland
Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 1973