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Page 49 · DO #4778 · 231_Rogers_Bx5FF28_r
- Collection
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David James Rogers (1918–2007) papers
- Item/Folder
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Natl. Academy of Sciences' Paper - "Conservation of Germplasm Resources", 1977
- Digital Object
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DO #4778,
page 49
- Collection-level dates
- 1948–1977
Page transcription
Identification of Gaps in Major Collections
Support for foreign and domestic plant explorations comes from various sources, i.e. state, federal, and private funds. One account administered by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, is used exclusively to support plant-collecting expeditions, about six per year. In 1976, for example, three foreign plant explorations and two domestic explorations were carried out. Germplasm of several species of cotton was collected in remote areas of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Ecological data were also gathered on the boll weevil and other cotton insects. Primitive tomato varieties were collected in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Citrus relatives for possible use as rootstocks and for breeding were collected in Australia and New Guinea. Grapes native to northeastern United States were collected and are being evaluated. Bitter gourd, a potential new oilseed crop for the arid Southwest, was collected from throughout the southern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains; the seeds will provide the basis for crop-development programs in several states. Other recent collections include grasses in Russia, legumes from Italy and Greece, potatoes and peanuts from South America, and sunflowers and pecans domestically.
Computerization of Information
Various elements of the National Plant Germplasm System have turned to computers as an aid in managing data on collections. For example, computers are being used by the
