2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): Cultivated cotton is particularly susceptible to many different forms of pathogens including viruses and nematodes. Resistance to such pathogens can often be found in germplasm collections, especially those that represent uncultivated lines or related species. Unfortunately cotton seed has limited viability with an average storage time of 15 years. The ARS Cotton Germplasm Collection has limited amounts of these seed sources and many need to be regenerated before intensive screening can occur. To preserve this material and to provide enough seed for screening purposes, extensive seed increases are needed. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): ARS and its collaborators will transfer selected seed stocks to the Cotton Winter Nursery using established protocols that conform to necessary sanitary requirements. Staff at the Cotton Winter Nursery in Tecoman, Mexico, will plant the seeds and maintain the plants. Flowers from the plants will be selfed and the resulting seed will be processed and sent back to ARS collaborators following established sanitary requirements. 3.Progress Report: For the second year, germplasm accessions were sent to the winter nursery in Tecoman, Mexico. They germinated well and produced good stands. In response to the Pakistani scientists request for tetraploid cotton as well as diploid accessions, part of the 2011-2012 accessions sent to the winter nursery were tetraploid Gossypium (G.) hirsutum. The winter nursery material was evaluated by the Authorized Departmental Officer's Designated Representative (ADODR) and other ARS partners in February 2012. The morphological data and digital images collected in 2011 and 2012 will be added to the updated Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database when it comes online. This will make the data easily accessible to all partners as well as other U.S. and Pakistani scientists. Five hundred eleven Gossypium hirsutum accessions from the 2011 Cotton Winter Nursery were requested by the Pakistani scientists to add to their in-country germplasm collection. A total of 678 Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium herbaceum accessions from the 2011 Cotton Winter Nursery were processed and packaged for Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV) screening in Pakistan in 2012. Import permits and phyto-sanitary certificates were obtained and all the seed was shipped to Pakistan the end of May.