The National Germplasm Resources Lab facilitates the acquisition, exchange, and documentation of crop genetic resources important to world food security.
The National Germplasm Resources Lab coordinates plant explorations to collect germplasm for the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System.
The National Germplasm Resources Laboratory supports the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. The locations of our genebanks are shown on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. For an interactive version of the map, please visit the GRIN Collections page.
NGRL conducts research on plant pathogens of quarantine significance and develops techniques to detect and eliminate them. This helps ensure safe global exchange and conservation of plants for food and agriculture.
NGRL develops and operates an information management system called GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) that documents USDA’s genetic resource collections. GRIN was developed beginning in the early 1980s and is an indispensable tool for curators, plant breeders, and scientists worldwide.
