hensive collections to reduce dependence on other nations or institutions. However, global cooperative efforts to manage biological resources are of increasing importance for managing collections housed in the United States and for arranging the most appropriate and economical replenishment of seed supplies.

The nation's participation in and support of international cooperation in managing germplasm will continue to grow. The NPGS is the world's largest distributor of plant germplasm. Each year it supplies more than 230,000 samples from its collections to more than 100 nations. Eighteen specific U.S. crop collections, including those of maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, soybean, citrus, tomato, and cotton, have been designated by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) as regional or global base collections in its international network. The United States also provides back-up storage to other collections, such as that of the International Rice Research Institute in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research system.

Economic issues, such as trade balances, property rights, and international cooperation in agriculture and the conservation of biological diversity, make it imperative for the United States to provide support and leadership in defining and implementing domestic and international programs. The NPGS must foster international cooperation to protect the world 's biological resources and preserve public and private sector access to genetic diversity for the benefit of all nations, many of which exhibit unique environmental or agroclimatic conditions.

The management of plant germplasm was formalized in 1898 when efforts to introduce useful plants were concentrated in the newly created USDA Plant Introduction Office. The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 led to the creation of the USDA regional plant introduction stations in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and to the opening of the National Seed Storage Laboratory (NSSL) in 1958. These facilities were established to conserve germplasm, to foster its use in plant breeding, and, for the NSSL, to provide secure, long-term storage. A national program began to emerge. In the early 1970s, the NPGS arose as a collaborative federal and state attempt, with some cooperation from private industry, to better manage the germplasm of importance to U.S. agriculture.

Although often regarded as a well-defined entity, the NPGS is constrained by the absence of a clear delineation of its duties, programs, and sites, nor does the NPGS budget process lend itself to systematic management and timely initiative in areas of critical need or opportunity.

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)