Four regional stations have overall responsibility for maintaining the major seed-reproducing species held by the national system. These are the North-Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Ames, Iowa; the Northeast Regional Plant Introduction Station, Geneva, New York; the Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, Washington; and the Southern Regional Plant Introduction Station, Griffin, Georgia (Table 2-3). They are operated jointly by the ARS and state agricultural experiment stations through the Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS). Collectively, they hold approximately 135,000 accessions of nearly 4,000 species.

As originally envisioned in the 1940s and 1950s, the regional stations were established to meet the germplasm needs of plant breeders and other scientists. They were to provide foreign and native plant germplasm to crop scientists, preserve and evaluate introduced materials, and serve as holding facilities for the nation's genetic resources. Their responsibilities were based mainly on the concerns of agriculture in

A field area at Central Ferry, Washington, on the Snake River is operated by the Western Regional Plant Introduction Station and used for germplasm regeneration, evaluation, testing, and maintenance. Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, Washington.