Location: Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU)
Project Number: 8060-21000-031-002-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 15, 2019
End Date: Sep 14, 2024
Objective:
The objective of this cooperative project is to facilitate the establishment of the USDA-ARS industrial hemp germplasm collection at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY.
1. Understand the status of germplasm research, breeding and conservation of industrial hemp.
2. Establish capacity and infrastructure for documentation, evaluation and characterization of industrial hemp.
3. Develop genomic resources for industrial hemp.
Approach:
ARS will take the following approaches for accomplishing the project objectives:
1. For achieving objective 1, ARS will review literature and other relevant information about industrial hemp. The review may include, but not limit to, identification of industrial hemp germplasm for breeding and research; understanding of industrial hemp origin, center(s) of diversity, and history of domestication; understanding of agronomic, physiological, biochemical, and molecular attributes, and growth habit and cultivation practice; and identification of major research groups and their activities.
2. For achieving objective 2, ARS will establish infrastructure for growing industrial hemp in field, greenhouses and growth rooms. Appropriate field and greenhouse spaces will be identified and upgraded, if necessary, for growing and securing the crop. Light and temperature-controlled plant growth chambers will be constructed for accommodating specific research needs, such as isolation for seed propagation.
3. For achieving objective 3, ARS will follow appropriate federal and state laws and the relevant policies of USDA-ARS and Cornell University to develop genomic resources for industrial hemp.
