A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR IDENTIFYING, QUANTIFYING, AND UTILIZING PLANT GERMPLASM RESOURCES

Efficient utilization of the genetic potential held in germplasm collections requires detailed knowledge about the accessions. Information on available accessions may be so scant that the accessions are of little interest to potential users. Users of germplasm are inconsistent in their uses and evaluations of germplasm resources and data collection. The large size and heterogeneous structure of some collections hinder efforts to increase the use of germplasm resources in crop improvement. Obtaining more than rudimentary information will not be accomplished unless efforts and dialogue between curators and users are coordinated. This review proposes a practical framework to aid the evaluation and utilization of the germplasm collections. The authors have chosen to exemplify germplasm of clovers (Trifolium spp.) and special purpose legumes (Lotus, Vicia, Lespedeza, and others) because of their familiarity with the species that comprise this group. A specified, well-described selection of accessions from a large germplasm collection can serve both preservation and utilization purposes. In this proposed framework, a standard range collection (SRC) is one that will be defined by high-priority descriptive characters, serve as a genetic standard, and represent the genetic diversity of accessions within the larger germplasm collection. The term SRC has been used throughout this manuscript for clarity, but is not a recommendation for new terminology.