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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151387
Title: USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION TO ACQUIRE WILD CROP GERMPLASM FOR EX SITU COLLECTIONS: II. POST-COLLECTION ANALYSIS

Author
item Greene, Stephanie
item HART, THOMAS - SPATIAL DATA ASSOC.
item AFONIN, ALEXANDR - ST. PETERSBURG UNIV.

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/19/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Greene, S.L., T.C. Hart, A. Afonin. 1999. Using geographic information to acquire wild crop germplasmfor ex situ collections: II. Post-collection analysis. Crop Science 39:843-849.

Interpretive Summary: Without committing significant resources in the decision-making process, curators are challenged to identify among newly collected germplasm, exceptional accessions that merit inclusion in ex situ collection. The objectives of this paper were to illustrate how geographic information can be used to help curators determine which accessions are most likely to be unique and thus deserve to be added into an active ex situ germplasm collection. Forage legume germplasm was collected in Russia in 1995. Prior to the collection trip a database was developed using geographic information system (GIS)software. After the trip, a map was developed that grouped the collection area into smaller units which reflected climatic similarities. The map was used to evaluate how well the collection trip has covered unique environments. Germplasm was collected from 41 % of the possible habitats. Site redundancy was also identified. Of 36 red clover accessions, 6 met the test of being collected from undisturbed sites with acidic soils, were the sole representatives of unique climate classes and had been isolated from other red clover populations. The post-collection analysis provided a cost-effective way of determining that accessions that merited inclusion into the NPGS red clover germplasm collection.

Technical Abstract: Without committing significant resources in the decision-making process, curators are challenged to identify among newly collected germplasm, exceptional accessions that merit inclusion in ex situ collection. The objectives of this paper were to illustrate how geographic information can be used to infer I)site uniqueness relative to other sites sampled, ii)likelihood that an accession reflects adaptation to a site, iii)uniqueness of a given accession relative to other accessions of the same taxon collected. Forage legume germplasm was collected in Russia in 1995. Prior to the collection trip a database was developed using geographic information system (GIS)software. Data were collected characterizing the collection sites. After the trip, a map was developed that partitioned the collection area into standard landscape units from the GIS-derived climate data. The cross-classification map was used assess collection coverage and identify sites that had similar ecogeographic characteristics. Germplasm was collected from 41 % of the possible moisture and temperature zone combinations. Site redundancy was also identified. Of 36 red clover accessions, 6 met the test of being collected from undisturbed sites with acidic soils, were the sole representatives of unique climate classes and had been isolated from other red clover populations. The post-collection analysis provided a cost-effective way of determining that accessions that merited inclusion into the NPGS red clover germplasm collection.