USDA introduces a multi-year plan to strengthen U.S. genebank management of plant germplasm
2023-11-17
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, November 17, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released today the National Strategic Germplasm and Cultivar Collection Assessment and Utilization Plan in support of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) U.S. National Plant Germplasm System’s (NPGS) mission.
The USDA-ARS NPGS is confident that implementing this plan will address current operational and research challenges. The collection is vital for maintaining the nation’s food supply by providing breeders and researchers the germplasm they need to furnish U. S. consumers with abundant, safe and affordable agricultural products.
The NPGS, a network of 22 genebanks primarily operated by USDA-ARS, often in strong partnership with land-grant universities, evaluates, characterizes and preserves unique germplasm collections, including seeds, tissues, tubers and buds. These collections offer researchers and breeders access to genetic diversity, which is crucial to developing pest-resistant and environmentally-resilient crops in response to emerging diseases and pests, fast-changing climates and market demands.
The genebanks currently maintain more than 617,000 unique kinds of plant germplasm from more than 100 different crops and distribute over 200,000 samples of that germplasm yearly for research, education and breeding purposes. In addition, NPGS scientists conduct research to enhance methods for maintaining and improving germplasm while ensuring all information and data associated with these vital materials are accessible through the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)-Global.
As directed by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill, the plan provides an overview of the current NPGS status, strengths and weaknesses, and operational capacities for managing plant germplasm, which includes acquisition, maintenance, characterization, distribution, evaluation and genetic enhancement. It identifies the operational backlogs, inadequate plant germplasm management capacities and other crucial operational and research needs that threaten the availability of germplasm for crop improvement.
More importantly, this comprehensive 10-year plan includes strategies for meeting the preceding challenges based on data-driven assessments and recommendations from NPGS scientists and leadership, with guidance from the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council. When successfully implemented, these strategies will result in:
Maintenance of more plant germplasm that are disease-free, securely backed up and available for research and breeding.
Enhancement of knowledge of the intrinsic genetic variation and high-value traits in that germplasm.
Acquisition, conservation and development of new plant germplasm with valuable traits.
That plan is now publicly accessible at https://www.ars-grin.gov/Collections#plant-germplasm and https://www.ars.usda.gov/crop-production-and-protection/plant-genetic-resources-genomics-and-genetic-improvement/
NPGS is primarily funded through appropriations to the USDA-ARS from the U.S. Congress and receives valuable support from state land-grant universities and many agricultural stakeholders.
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.
###
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2023-11-17
Proteins misfolding and clumping together, a process known as aggregation, is a key feature seen in several neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
These disorders involve the formation of small, potentially harmful structures called oligomers, which could serve as valuable indicators for early diagnosis. They are incredibly small, however, and much rarer than the healthy non-aggregated proteins. This makes it hard to detect and measure them accurately.
In collaboration with UCB Biopharma, researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s ...
2023-11-17
Researchers in Japan and Mongolia have carried out the world's first instance of incorporating satellite-based CO2 emission estimates into a GHG emission report as the verification on the Second Biennial Update Report (BUR2) of Mongolia submitted to the UNFCCC on 15 November 2023, resulting in high accuracy match with actual reported values, reports a new study published online in Scientific Reports in 2023.
Countries have reported their CO2 emissions to the UNFCCC, primarily from human activities and a significant contributor to climate change. ...
2023-11-17
Approximately one-fifth of the world's electric energy is dedicated to refrigeration, and the International Energy Agency anticipates a twofold increase in the number of air conditioning units by 2040. Despite a century of advancements, existing refrigeration systems, relying on vapour compression, have hit their thermodynamic threshold. These systems not only emit greenhouse gases, contributing to environmental issues, but also produce significant noise. Prioritizing the development of energy-efficient and eco-friendly systems is thus paramount to address global warming ...
2023-11-17
Growth is a fundamental biological process and a prerequisite for living organisms to develop and reproduce. The processes of cell growth (i.e. the production of new biomass) and of cell division must be coordinated with each other.
In multicellular organisms such as humans, the growth of cells must also be coordinated with their environment so that cells are present in the right number and size to form functional tissue or organs. Cell growth is therefore strictly regulated and takes place only when certain growth signals are present.
But cancer cells are different. They grow unchecked, they divide ...
2023-11-17
A research project led by Professor Mingxin Huang at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has made a brand-new breakthrough over conventional stainless steel and the development of stainless steel for hydrogen (SS-H2).
This marks another major achievement by Professor Huang’s team in its ‘Super Steel’ Project, following the development of the anti-COVID-19 stainless steel in 2021, and ultra-strong and ultra-tough Super Steel in 2017 and 2020 respectively.
The new steel developed by the team exhibits high corrosion ...
2023-11-17
NYC Media Lab (NYCML) and Bertelsmann unveiled the latest cohort joining the AI & the Creative Industries Challenge, a nine-week program in which teams explore new ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create digital content and reach new audiences for three Bertelsmann companies: Fremantle, Penguin Random House, and BMG. The teams are tasked with addressing how AI will impact these important creative industries.
This ongoing partnership, NYCML’s third project with Bertelsmann, will continue to build on new business frontiers enabled by technology. The four selected teams, from around the globe, come from various multidisciplinary ...
2023-11-17
Actuators are common machine components that convert energy into movement, like the muscles in the human body, vibrators in mobile phones or electric motors. Ideal actuator materials need good electrochemical properties to repeatedly conduct electrical currents made of flowing electrons. In addition, actuator materials require excellent mechanical properties to withstand the physical stress associated with continual movement. Nanoporous platinum (np-Pt), a platinum matrix containing tiny pores to increase energy conduction, was recently created in large quantities and in a cost-efficient manner, making np-Pt an ideal and more practical actuator material.
A ...
2023-11-17
Crystalline materials are made up of atoms, ions, or molecules arranged in an ordered, three-dimensional structure. They are widely used for the development of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, photovoltaics, and catalysts. The type of structures that fall into the category of crystalline materials continues to expand as scientists design novel materials to address emerging challenges pertaining to energy storage, carbon capture, and advanced electronics.
However, the development of such materials necessitates precise ways of identifying ...
2023-11-17
Bethesda, MD (Nov. 17, 2023) — The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) released a new evidence-based guideline recommending the use of blood and stool-based biomarkers to help manage Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is estimated to affect 2.74 million people in the U.S. The guideline was published today in Gastroenterology.
Biomarkers are blood or stool tests that can give more information on an underlying disease process. In the context of IBD, biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) in blood and fecal calprotectin ...
2023-11-17
Why should supply chains matter to you? The products on your store shelves, the packages arriving at your doorstep, and even the food on your table all rely on these intricate networks. Imagine a world where these lifelines are disrupted, where shelves sit empty, and essential goods remain out of reach. In Supply Chain 5.0: The Next Generation of Business Success Through Customer Centricity, Sustainability & Human Rights and Digitalization, we unveil the critical factors shaping the future of supply chains and how they impact your everyday life.
This book holds a crucial revelation about the future of our supply chains. It ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] USDA introduces a multi-year plan to strengthen U.S. genebank management of plant germplasm
