National Clonal Germplasm Repository
Encyclopedia
The National Clonal Germplasm Repository is a branch of the
Agricultural Research Service
research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA). The Repository is a gene bank
that preserves genetic resources by various means, including cryopreservation
. There are nine clonal repositories located in appropriate locations throughout the United States. Germplasm
of citrus plants and dates are preserved in Riverside, California
, a distribution center for grapes, temperate fruit, walnut, almond and pistachio nuts is located in Davis, California
, and the repository for temperate small fruit, pears, hazelnut, butternut and specialty crops is located in Corvallis, Oregon
. The base gene bank for the USDA National Germplasm System is the National Center for Germplasm Preservation at Ft. Collins, CO. This center holds seeds of agronomic crops, cryopreserved clonal plant materials, animal and bacterial germplasm.
Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture . ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area...
research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
(USDA). The Repository is a gene bank
Gene bank
Gene banks help preserve genetic material, be it plant or animal. In plants, this could be by freezing cuts from the plant, or stocking the seeds. In animals, this is the freezing of sperm and eggs in zoological freezers until further need. With corals, fragments are taken which are stored in water...
that preserves genetic resources by various means, including cryopreservation
Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as 77 K or −196 °C . At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped...
. There are nine clonal repositories located in appropriate locations throughout the United States. Germplasm
Germplasm
A germplasm is a collection of genetic resources for an organism. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection or, for trees, in a nursery.-See also:*Germ plasm, the germ cell determining zone...
of citrus plants and dates are preserved in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, a distribution center for grapes, temperate fruit, walnut, almond and pistachio nuts is located in Davis, California
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and the repository for temperate small fruit, pears, hazelnut, butternut and specialty crops is located in Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
. The base gene bank for the USDA National Germplasm System is the National Center for Germplasm Preservation at Ft. Collins, CO. This center holds seeds of agronomic crops, cryopreserved clonal plant materials, animal and bacterial germplasm.