Location: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory
2025 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Support, plan, and/or conduct, in alignment with the overall NPGS Plan, international and domestic explorations and exchanges to acquire plant genetic resources, especially of crop wild relatives and landraces of major, specialty and new crops, to fill gaps in the holdings of key NPGS plant genetic resource collections.
Objective 2. Expand the NPGS program of complementary conservation (ex situ and in situ) of crop wild relatives in the United States, in alignment with the overall NPGS Plan, through collaborations with federal, state, and private agencies.
Objective 3. Maintain GRIN Taxonomy for Plants and, in alignment with the overall NPGS Plan, expand the nomenclatural, classificatory, and geographical information available for crop wild relatives.
Objective 4. Manage the import and export of germplasm involved in international germplasm exchanges.
Objective 5. Serve as coordinator and secretariat for the 44 CGCs that provide technical input for NPGS plant genetic resource management plans and priorities.
Approach
Support the acquisition of plant genetic resources for the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS), focusing on plants that fill gaps in accessions. Manage the Plant Exploration and Exchange program by updating and distributing proposal guidelines, conducting review of proposals, coordinating funding, maintaining records of explorations, verifying that accessions are submitted to the NPGS, and ensuring that accessions and associated data are documented properly in GRIN-Global. Guide scientists on proposal preparation, obtaining permissions for collecting, trip planning, documentation of collections, collecting protocols, recommended equipment, and other matters. For foreign explorations, locate national authorities for access to genetic resources per the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Identify appropriate benefit sharing for foreign explorations in cooperation with U.S.-based explorers, NPGS curators, collaborating foreign scientists, and national authorities on access in the host country. Expand the complementary conservation of crop wild relatives (CWR) in the United States. Identify areas in the U.S. that support significant populations of CWR. Expand collaboration to new partners, increase the numbers of CWR conserved, and provide improved access to information about CWR. Work with land managing agencies to select and designate natural areas as resource reserves for CWR. Develop an integrated conservation strategy for species of grapes (Vitis spp.) native to the United States that are important CWR of the cultivated wine grape (Vitis vinifera). Maintain and expand GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. Research changes to existing taxonomic classifications or nomenclature for possible adoption. Document all data with references in GRIN-Global. Promote the use of GRIN Taxonomy among genetic resources managers and customers by enhancing the internet search pages, encouraging user feedback, and maintaining the integrity of the scientific nomenclature. Update current and develop new crop wild relative classifications for crops based on thorough review of all pertinent taxonomic and phylogenetic literature, as well as similar review of the plant genetic, breeding, and other crop science literature. Assist scientists in complying with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations for importing germplasm. Support the import and export of germplasm by facilitating agricultural inspections and issuances of phytosanitary certificates for NPGS genebanks. Guide NPGS curators and other staff about APHIS regulations for shipping germplasm. Serve as an interface between APHIS and the NPGS genebanks for incoming and outgoing shipments of germplasm. Coordinate and document activities for the 44 Crop Germplasm Committees (CGCs) that provide technical input for NPGS plant genetic resource management plans and priorities. Plan the annual meetings of the CGC Chairs and maintain documentation of the CGCs’ rosters, crop vulnerability statements, and other activities. Act as a liaison between CGCs and ARS leadership on issues related to plant genetic resources.
Progress Report
This report documents progress for project 8042-21000-302-000D from October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025, including estimates of activities completed in the final quarter of the fiscal year. Under Objective 1, the Plant Exploration and Exchange Office supported ongoing explorations through management of agreements and documentation of germplasm accessioned by the National Plant Germplasm System. The program reviewed new exploration proposalsthree of which were approved. Objective 2 focuses on developing collaborations to implement complementary conservation of crop wild relatives. Progress included planning and attending a Crop Wild Relative symposium, working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to determine the occurrence of Vitis species on National Forests, and producing updated conservation data for native Vitis species. Through our cooperator, the Missouri Botanical Garden, historical locations of Vitis rupestris in Missouri were surveyed and important herbarium specimens were annotated and digitized. This will enable the prioritization of in situ genetic resource reserves, especially considering taxonomic changes.
Progress under Objective 3, which involves the maintenance and expansion of GRIN Taxonomy data, focused on a major stakeholder project to update scientific names of seeds used internationally in trade (see accomplishment) that was completed. New additions included approximately 313 distribution, 6,734 literature, 10 common name, and 16 economic use records. More than 1,681 new taxon records were added and more than 1,926 were verified, although restricted access to library resources prevented more verifications. More than 6,934 existing records in the taxonomy tables were also modified.
For Objective 4, the export of germplasm was facilitated by ensuring that agricultural inspections were completed, and phytosanitary certificates were issued within acceptable timeframes. From October 2024 through June 2025, 335 public orders containing a total of 18,405 samples of NPGS accessions were shipped from Beltsville to individuals in 50 countries for research and education.
Under Objective 5, we supported Crop Germplasm Committees (CGCs) by attending and reporting to CGC meetings and updating information on their committees in GRIN. The annual virtual meeting of the CGC Chairs was held in March 2025.
Accomplishments
1. 8th edition of the International Seed Testing Association’s List of Stabilised Plant Names. The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) uses an official set of scientific names for international trade, commonly known as the Stabilised List, which is updated every 6 years. Work on updates for the 8th edition, led by the ARS botanist, began in 2024 to consider proposed additions and evaluate possible changes to scientific names. The nomenclature committee voted on a series of changes, which were compiled into a draft. The draft was circulated to technical committees and members of ISTA, compared to the 2025 ISTA Rules that govern seed testing, and modified to rectify several omissions that were made in the 7th edition. The 8th edition was formally approved during the 2025 ISTA Congress. It will take effect on January 1, 2026 to coincide with the 2026 ISTA Rules, which will use updated scientific names from the Stabilised List. This provides an essential service to global trade and commerce in seeds used for agricultural research and production.