Guardians of the Germplasm: Hazelnuts, Berries, Pears, Hops, and Mint

Abstract

The NCGR-Corvallis is one of about 20 federal facilities and worksites in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System dedicated to preserving economically important crops and their wild relatives. This genebank opened in May 1981, through a congressional funding mandate of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conserve hazelnuts, strawberries, hops, mint, pears, currants/gooseberries, raspberries/blackberries, blueberries/cranberries, and their crop wild relatives. The unit collects, maintains, distributes, and evaluates genetic resources for these crops. The collection now includes more than 12,000 accessions. About half are living plants and the rest are seedlots. Clonal collections are conserved in orchards and as containerized plants under screen or in greenhouses. Seeds are stored at -20° C. These living plant collections are some of the most extensive in the world for each genus, and represent heritage cultivars as well as diverse wild species. Since 1981, the NCGR has annually distributed between 6,000 and 10,000 samples (cuttings, plants, plant tissue or seeds) to plant breeders and researchers around the world. Over the past decade, operational funds have been limited and administrative costs have increased. New diseases and pests have expanded their ranges. The objective of this manuscript is to provide examples of significant plant introductions (PIs) that are conserved at NCGR-Corvallis, that have qualities to overcome the pests and diseases of the future.