BETA GENETIC RESOURCES: NORTH AMERICA ACTIVITIES

Authors: Panella, Leonard; Hannan, Richard; Hodgdon, Alan

Submitted to: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2002
Publication Date: 2/1/2005
Citation: Panella, L.W., Hannan, R.M., Hodgdon, A.L. 2005. Beta genetic resources: north america activities. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.

Interpretive Summary: This report gives a short history of the National Plant Germplasm System's (NPGS) Beta Collection at the USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station (WRPIS), where the active collection has been housed since the early 1990's. There is a backlog of priority accession to be regenerated, buta field increase protocol has been developed to increase the sugar beet and table beet accessions that are adapted to Pullman, WA, climate by using cold frames over the winter and cloth pollen proof cages for controlled pollination. Additionally, based on data from controlled pollination studies at the WRPIS site in Parlier, California by Dr. M. Jenderek, many of the difficult to grow Chenopodiaceous taxa could be successfully increased in specially constructed, positive air flow, individually controlled environment chambers. The GRIN system contains 2,447 Beta accessions, the majority of which are Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris and represent improved germplasm and early open-pollinated varieties developed in the United States and throughout the world, however, some of the most interesting accessions are those in the taxon, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, which are a rich source of disease resistance genes and are being aggressively evaluated ¿ 23,419 evaluations through 1999 (descriptors * accessions evaluated). Finally, images of 239 accessions have been loaded onto GRIN from WRPIS and by other evaluators.

Technical Abstract: Report on a Working Group on Beta (IPGRI) This report gives a short history of the National Plant Germplasm System's (NPGS) Beta Collection at the USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction Station (WRPIS), where the active collection has been housed since the early 1990's. There is a backlog of priority accession to be regenerated, buta field increase protocol has been developed to increase the sugar beet and table beet accessions that are adapted to Pullman, WA, climate by using cold frames over the winter and cloth pollen proof cages for controlled pollination. Additionally, based on data from controlled pollination studies at the WRPIS site in Parlier, California by Dr. M. Jenderek, many of the difficult to grow Chenopodiaceous taxa could be successfully increased in specially constructed, positive air flow, individually controlled environment chambers. The GRIN system contains 2,447 Beta accessions, the majority of which are Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris and represent improved germplasm and early open-pollinated varieties developed in the United States and throughout the world, however, some of the most interesting accessions are those in the taxon, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, which are a rich source of disease resistance genes and are being aggressively evaluated ¿ 23,419 evaluations through 1999 (descriptors * accessions evaluated). Finally, images of 239 accessions have been loaded onto GRIN from WRPIS and by other evaluators.