Genetic Resources Board, as an adviser on germplasm issues, should provide a forum for the discussion of these issues.

The United States should become a member of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Joining the commission should not be considered an endorsement of all of its actions or policies. Rather, it would enable the United States to gain a voice in developing and directing the commission as well as shaping its long-term agenda. The Department of State should include the NPGS and the NPGRB in the process of developing policies and actions for consideration by the commission. The leader of the national system or his or her designee should be part of any U.S. delegation to commission meetings. [The United States joined in September 1990.]

The National Plant Germplasm System should cooperate with other nations to conserve, collect, maintain, and regenerate germplasm.

Many nations are now becoming reluctant to allow the indiscriminate collection and exchange of germplasm. The United States must seek policies that promote open and cooperative collection, management, and exchange, and that include opportunities to promote in situ conservation of important resources. Cooperation would benefit and enlarge the quantity of germplasm and technical expertise available to other nations.

The United States should pursue agreements with other national or international germplasm centers for access to or regeneration of important germplasm resources. The NPGS holds, for example, accessions of Andean Maize landraces, but there are no U.S. facilities suitable for regenerating these high-elevation, short day-length materials. Cooperative agreements are needed with other nations to regenerate such germplasm.

The United States should work with neighboring countries to establish a North American cooperative program in genetic resources.

Canada and Mexico have national germplasm systems, both of which are smaller than the NPGS, but may be complementary to it. In a regional cooperative program, the United States, Canada, and Mexico would mutually benefit. The United States, for example, could obtain assistance in maintaining or regenerating accessions for which no suitable environment is available domestically. Many cotton accessions, for example, must be grown under contract at sites in Mexico. Duplication of the U.S. wheat collection with Agriculture Canada to provide a

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)