National Plant Germplasm System
Maize Collection at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1, 1974 |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Parent department | United States Department of Agriculture |
| Parent agency | Agricultural Research Service |
| Website | National Plant Germplasm System |
The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) is a coordinated network of federal, state, and private institutions administered by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Its mission is to conserve the genetic diversity of agriculturally important plants while facilitating the use of germplasm (seeds and other propagative materials) for research, breeding, and educational purposes.
The NPGS operates 27 specialized sites, each responsible for one or more crop collections. Long-term backup storage is provided by the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation (NLGRP). All NPGS collections are linked through the centralized Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database. The National Germplasm Resources Laboratory (NGRL) in Beltsville, MD, manages the GRIN database and coordinates 40 Crop Germplasm Committees (CGCs)—composed of crop specialists that provide guidance to the curators of each major crop collection.
It has been called a “living library” — and America’s safeguard against “famine on a global scale.”