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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Plant Introduction Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #132117
Title: THE NATIONAL PLANT GERMPLASM SYSTEM'S SUNFLOWER COLLECTION: GENETIC DIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Author
item Brothers, Mary
item Seiler, Gerald

Submitted to: International Symposium on Sunflower in Developing Countries
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/28/2002
Publication Date: 3/16/2002
Citation: Brothers, M.E., Seiler, G.J. The national plant germplasm system's sunflower collection: genetic diversity for developing countries. International Symposium on Sunflower in Developing Countries. P. 9. Available:http:www.isa.cetiom.fr/symposium/brothersseilerusa.htm.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The United States' National Plant Germplasm System's (NPGS) sunflower collection is curated at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) in Ames, Iowa (USA). The NPGS sunflower collection is a diverse assemblage of 3787 accessions (1624 cultivated Helianthus annuus accessions, 1417 accessions representing 12 wild, annual Helianthus species, and 746 accessions representing 37 perennial Helianthus species). This collection is the most genetically diverse ex situ sunflower collection in the world and it is vital to the conservation of Heliathus germplasm. A subset of the diversity within the cultivated sunflower collection was designated as a core subset in 1998. This core subset is composed of 112 accessions, and it may provide a more efficient means of identifying useful genetic variation for sunflower production and improvement in developing countries. All passport, characterization, and evaluation information for sunflower accessions is maintained on the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), accessible at www.ars-grin.gov/npgs. A diskette version of the database, PCGRIN, is also available. Small quantities of germplasm (generally 100 seeds per accession) are distributed free of charge for research purposes to scientists worldwide.