Long-term preservation of new industrial crop germplasm at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation

Authors: Jenderek, Maria; Lawrence, Andrea; Ellis, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2007
Publication Date: 10/7/2007
Citation: Jenderek, M.M., Lawrence, A.L., Ellis, D.D. 2007. Long-term preservation of new industrial crop germplasm at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation. Association for the Advancment of Industrial Crops. October 7-10, 2007. Portland, Maine. pp.31. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: The Cropdatabase of the New Crops Crop Germplasm Committee within the Germplasm Resource Information System (GRIN) lists 118 species in 42 genera as having potential uses as industrial crops (http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/cgc reports). It is challenging to choose an appropriate long-term storage conditions for the new industrial crops due to the variety and diverse chemical composition of seeds and the fact that optimal seed storage conditions have not been described for these crops. In most cases, because of their ‘new crop’ status, limited research resources have been devoted to preserving these crops. The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) is a storage site for base collections of all accessions in the USDA, ARS, National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The base collections serve as a back-up for the 475,000 accessions preserved in the NPGS. One goal of the NCGRP is to back-up 100% of the NPGS accessions. At present, only ca. 78% of the accessions are stored at the NCGRP. The purpose of this study was to review the back-up storage status of the new industrial crops germplasm, to identify species that are not backed up at the NCGRP, and to raise awareness of the germplasm collections lacking information on long-term seed storage techniques. Data used in this study were obtained from the GRIN database. Of the new industrial crops, 92% of the accessions are in long-term storage at the NCGRP. Ten of the 42 genera (23%) have all their accessions backed-up at the Center, yet 6% of the genera (Agave, Dimorphoteca, Hesperaloe, Panax, Physaria, Salicornia, and Salvia) have no backup seed samples at the NCGRP or any other site. Of the remaining genera, a relatively small fraction (10%), which represents over 60% of the species listed as new industrial crops (71 species) have <55% of their accessions in the long-term storage. The majority of the collections in long-term storage at the NCGRP are stored at -18oC (67.9%), the remaining collections (seed or shoot tips) are stored in liquid nitrogen (24.2%) with the exception of a few Cuphea sp. accessions being stored in 4oC. Of particular interest is that seeds of some high oil containing accessions in the genera of Lesquerella, Limnanthes or Simmondsia are stored in liquid nitrogen or -18oC, this is believed to be the optimal storage conditions at the time the germplasm was backed up, where recent research has suggested that these storage conditions for high oil seed may not be optimal. Research is also needed in the areas of defining germination testing procedures for these crops for monitoring seed viability in storage.

Technical Abstract: The Cropdatabase of the New Crops Crop Germplasm Committee within the Germplasm Resource Information System (GRIN) lists 118 species in 42 genera as having potential uses as industrial crops (http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/cgc reports). It is challenging to choose an appropriate long-term storage conditions for the new industrial crops due to the variety and diverse chemical composition of seeds and the fact that optimal seed storage conditions have not been described for these crops. In most cases, because of their ‘new crop’ status, limited research resources have been devoted to preserving these crops. The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) is a storage site for base collections of all accessions in the USDA, ARS, National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The base collections serve as a back-up for the 475,000 accessions preserved in the NPGS. One goal of the NCGRP is to back-up 100% of the NPGS accessions. At present, only ca. 78% of the accessions are stored at the NCGRP. The purpose of this study was to review the back-up storage status of the new industrial crops germplasm, to identify species that are not backed up at the NCGRP, and to raise awareness of the germplasm collections lacking information on long-term seed storage techniques. Data used in this study were obtained from the GRIN database. Of the new industrial crops, 92% of the accessions are in long-term storage at the NCGRP. Ten of the 42 genera (23%) have all their accessions backed-up at the Center, yet 6% of the genera (Agave, Dimorphoteca, Hesperaloe, Panax, Physaria, Salicornia, and Salvia) have no backup seed samples at the NCGRP or any other site. Of the remaining genera, a relatively small fraction (10%), which represents over 60% of the species listed as new industrial crops (71 species) have <55% of their accessions in the long-term storage. The majority of the collections in long-term storage at the NCGRP are stored at -18oC (67.9%), the remaining collections (seed or shoot tips) are stored in liquid nitrogen (24.2%) with the exception of a few Cuphea sp. accessions being stored in 4oC. Of particular interest is that seeds of some high oil containing accessions in the genera of Lesquerella, Limnanthes or Simmondsia are stored in liquid nitrogen or -18oC, this is believed to be the optimal storage conditions at the time the germplasm was backed up, where recent research has suggested that these storage conditions for high oil seed may not be optimal. Research is also needed in the areas of defining germination testing procedures for these crops for monitoring seed viability in storage.