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Germplasm Acquisition
Germplasm of tree fruit and nut crops and grapes is acquired through: (1) government-sponsored explorations in the centers of diversity of crops; (2) foreign and domestic inter-institutional exchange of germplasm; (3) contribution from university researchers, plant breeders, botanical gardens, arboreta, private collectors and hobbyists. Acquisitions may be in the form of cuttings, budwood, or seeds and all international germplasm accessions pass through the NationalPlantGermplasmQuarantineCenter in South San Francisco, California, where they are tested for diseases and pests before they are released to the repository.
Germplasm Preservation
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Germplasm is preserved through clonal propagation of accessions. Cultivars and species suitable for propagation by cuttings are rooted on mist beds and/or heat pads in greenhouses. Rooted plants are maintained in screenhouses or are transferred to the field collection.
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Other accessions are propagated through grafting/budding onto suitable rootstocks. Grafted material is also kept in a greenhouse until the graft union has healed and the plant is large enough to be moved to a lathhouse. After about two years in the lathhouse, accessions are planted in the field where they are maintained and harvested for germplasm. Copies of grape, grape relatives and Prunus are also kept in a permanent collection in screenhouses.
Germplasm Distribution Policies & Procedures
It is the policy of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) to provide small quantities of available germplasm to research and educational isntitutions for research, testing and scientific breeding efforts that require genetic diversity or specific genetic standards.
Almost all plant material from the Davis gene bank is distributed as cuttings and deadlines for orders are those appropriate for such cuttings. These cuttings must be rooted or grafted/budded to produce a plant. Material of Juglans, Pistacia, Diospyros and most Prunus are very difficult to root and the recipient must obtain appropriate rootstocks prior to receipt of scion cuttings.
We receive some requests for seed. Appropriate timing for requests of seed vary greatly between collections and requesters should allow considerable lead time. Recipients should be aware that most Davis-NCGR accessions are outcrossing and seed from requested accessions will have a known female parent but likely have very diverse male parents. Davis-NCGR Pistacia plantings are not managed for seed production and requesters should expect that few seed will be available in this genus.
Shipping
Orders are sent Priority Overnight by UPS or Fed-ex. A packing list and certificate of quarantine compliance are shipped with the plant material when required. We ask that the receipient obtain and submit a Fed Ex or UPS account number to assist with the shipping cost. Fed Ex account numbers may be obtained online at http://www.fedex.com/. UPS account numbers may be online at http://www.ups.com/.
International Requests
NCGR distributes germplasm to international requestors in compliance with federal quarantine regulations and restrictions of the United States and the recipient country. The requester MUST provide an import permit (IP), when required, with an English translation before the material will be collected for distribution. If possible, the IP should be open dated. This assists us in re-sending material that did not survive original shipment. Our USDA plant inspector can provide the phytosanitary certification only after we have received the required IP from the requesting country. Whenever possible, please send or FAX a copy of the IP with the original plant request.
Submitting an Order Request
To place an order request, go online to the GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) Global website. There, you can search for the desired accession. To add the accession to the shopping cart, click the "Add to Order" button. The link to the shopping cart is at the top of the page. Once you are finished selecting accessions, click the "Checkout" button. You will be asked to either log in or sign up for a new account at this time. Continue to follow the prompts on the screen to complete your request. Please remember to indicate if you desire dormant cuttings, budwood/scionwood, or summer cuttings or budwood. There is also a section for special instructions that can include: a shipping account number to assist in the cost of shipping the material to you, a note that you wish to pick-up your material when it is ready, or any other special preferences. Please be sure to fill in all of the requested contact information in order for the request to be processed. When providing an address, please do not use a PO Box, as we are unable to ship to PO Boxes.
Order requests for dormant cuttings or budwood must be received by November 1st, and are shipped in March-April. Orders for summer budwood/cuttings and open-pollinated seeds must be received byMay 1st, and are shipped in June-August.
Orders for pollen must be received by January 31st, and are shipped at appropriate times for each crop.
*Summer requests should only be made if propagation will occur under mist.
*Due to great demand for dormant cuttings and their higher rooting success rate, we will no longer have routine distribution of Ficus summer cuttings.
If you have questions about how to place an order you can email the Orders Team at OrdersNCGR.Davis@ARS.USDA.GOV
Crop Pages
Actinidia(kiwifruit) Diospyros(persimmon) Ficus(fig) Juglans (walnut) Olea(olives) Morus (mulberry) Pistacia(pistachio) Prunus (peach, plum, apricot, cherry, almond, and related species) Punica (pomegranate) Vitis (grape)
