The National Plant Genetic Resources Board must have greater independence as an adviser on national and international policies.

The NPGRB is chaired by and reports to the assistant secretary for science and education, a design of its charter that can constrain its ability to address controversial issues. To make it a more dynamic, responsive, and independent adviser on U.S. plant genetic resources activities, the board should elect a chair from its membership, and its members should equally represent the government offices or agencies contributing to U.S. germplasm activities and the broad user community, including industry, universities, and the private nonprofit sectors.

The board should provide budgetary and program guidance to the leader of the NPGS and make recommendations on the policies, priorities, and activities that comprise U.S. germplasm efforts. It should prepare for the secretary of agriculture, the Congress, and others an annual report on U.S. germplasm activities and the effectiveness of the NPGS in achieving the board's budget and program recommendations.

The National Plant Germplasm Committee should be disbanded.

When originally established in 1974, the committee was a source of information about, and an advocate for, the national system. Over the years, committee membership has become more of an administrative obligation, which has led to the appointment of several representatives who lack direct responsibilities for, or involvement in, the NPGS. Today there is no clear role for the NPGC that is distinct from other advisory groups.

The crop advisory committees should be provided financial support, and a mechanism should be created to use their reports when developing policies and priorities.

Crop advisory committees prepare reports on national and international developments concerning specific crop species. They discuss implications for the United States and make recommendations for strengthening NPGS activities. Although a potentially important source of knowledgeable and technical information and advice for the national system, the committees receive no financial support and there is no established mechanism for using their reports. Some financial support for travel and administrative expenses would enable those members without other resources to participate in meetings. The information contained in reports could be gathered and analyzed, and used to aid the national system in establishing its priorities and resource allocations. The responsibility for analyzing reports could be assigned to an existing committee or to one drawn from the committees' chairs. Furthermore,

Front Matter (R1-R16)

Executive Summary (1-20)

1 Managing Crop Genetic Resources (21-42)

2 Elements of the National Plant Germplasm System (43-86)

3 Administration of the National System (87-106)

4 Prescription for Effectiveness (107-144)

References (145-148)

Glossary (149-153)

Abbreviations (154-155)

Authors (156-160)

Index (161-173)