Its activities are supported at the federal level by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and at the state level by state agricultural experiment stations. Since the early 1970s, the primary responsibility for management and support has rested with the ARS.

The size and scope of many NPGS collections and the volume of national and international distributions of samples from them are noteworthy. Indeed, many NPGS collections are considered to be valuable and important global resources. This accomplishment is testimony to the tireless efforts of many scientists, technicians, and other support staff.

As agricultural scientists and plant breeders improve crops, their need for germplasm will grow; the NPGS must keep pace. At the same time, concerns about the loss of biological resources place an ever greater significance on germplasm management and conservation, and on a growing international role for the NPGS. By conserving the genetic diversity of crop species and their wild relatives, the NPGS contributes to national and international efforts that address the loss of biological diversity.

To meet these increasing demands, the NPGS must be a centrally managed organization. At present, it exists within a decentralized framework in which a multitude of individuals, committees, and USDA offices have varying levels of responsibility. This framework has hampered the ability of the NPGS to function as a coordinated, well-defined system with clear-cut leadership, responsibilities, and authority. It also constrains the resolution of long-standing needs and problems.

To meet both national and global needs, the NPGS must recognize and act on the needs of the nation's germplasm collections. It must be guided by budgetary procedures that invest resources in areas of need and opportunity, and it must utilize evaluation and planning mechanisms that identify systemwide needs and cost-effective solutions to recognized deficiencies. The committee's basic conclusion is that it will remain very difficult, if not impossible, for the system to function properly without a major overhaul in its structure and administrative procedures.

This report presents recommendations that, when implemented, will further strengthen the NPGS as a viable and effective conservator of the nation's genetic resources. It examines the administration, management, and activities of a national system that traces its beginning to 1898, yet operates without a national structure. The committee concludes that the growth and ever-increasing national and international impor-

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)