1. Update from the
National Genetics
Resource Advisory
Council (NGRAC) to
ASTA Organic Seed
Committee Meeting,
Dec 8, 2014 Manjit Misra,
NGRAC Chair
Iowa State University
Stephen Smith,
Dupont Pioneer
2. What We Do
• NGRAC is a subcommittee of NAREEE
• Advise the Secretary of Agriculture and
Director of the National Genetic
Resources Program (NGRP) on the
activities, policies, and operation of NGRP.
• Scope includes acquisition, preservation,
access, evaluation, characterization,
distribution, and exchange of genetic
resources of life forms important to
American agriculture; plants, forest
species, animals, aquatics, insects, and
microbes.
3. What We Do
• NGRAC shall make recommendations to
ensure that these essential resources are
adequately conserved and appropriately
accessible in order to address current
and future agricultural needs.
• NGRAC is also to advise on research
needs for genetic resources, on
coordination of NGRP with similar
domestic activities, and on policies–both
international and domestic–regarding
access and exchange of genetic
resources for the public’s benefit.
4. Appointed Members
Manjit Misra (Chair), Seed Science Center, Iowa State University
Jane Dever, Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University
Matthew Dillon, Clif Bar Family Foundation on Food & Farming
Initiatives, Seed Matters
Karen Moldenhauer, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Rice Research & Extension Center
Stephen Smith, DuPont Pioneer
Allison Snow, Ohio State University
Herman Warren, Warren & Associates Seeds
Terry Williams, Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Dept.
Mulumebet Worku, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State
University
Ex-Officio Members
Peter Bretting, National Program Leader, USDA – ARS
Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary, USDA
Seven other distinguished members
Who We Are
5. • Discussed AC21 Recommendations
• Identified Major Issues in Plant Genetic Resources
Matching decreasing capacity with increasing demand for
plant genetic resources/information
▸ Budgets are static or decreasing, Cost is increasing, Size of
collections and demand is increasing, Differential sets (aka
pathogens and genomic data), Succession management
International genetic resource access and exchange
▸ Treaties, Phytosanitary certificate cost, Threatened Crop Wild
Relatives and Wild Species, Current exchange mechanisms
(initially referenced in relation to animal genetic resources), FAO
Global Plan of Action — Biodiversity Laws — CBD
Cross-cutting topics
▸ Intellectual property rights, Genetically-engineered germplasm
resources, Organic seed supply, Climate change (adaptation),
Genetic uniformity and vulnerability, Documenting and
communicating impact of genetic resources, Tribal germplasm
interests. Public genetic resource distribution and exchange
First Meeting
March 5 – 6, 2013, Wash DC
6. • Highlights of the NGRAC Recommendations
Develop a seed access plan
— Include a broader group of stakeholders and rights-holders (such as tribes) in
the agricultural value chain—including agricultural producers, food processors,
and public plant breeders.
— Encourage NASS and ERS to better assess needs of all farmers regarding
accessibility of non-genetically engineered (GE) and organic seed.
USDA should recommit to maintaining the original genetic identity of
accessions in its germplasm banks.
• The NGRAC supports USDA continuing to develop a robust process for detecting,
monitoring, mitigating, and communicating the unintentional presence of transgenes
in public germplasm.
• Frequency of regeneration should be reduced by storing plant germplasm
under optimal conditions and developing non-destructive viability testing .
Other Recommendations
• Strongly encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to seek ratification of the
International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture by the
U.S. Senate.
Second Meeting
Sept 25 – 26, 2013, Fort Collins, CO
7. • Invited speakers
Charles Brown, Chair, organic committee, ASTA
Catherine Greene (ERS, USDA)
Wallace Huffman (ISU Economist)
Leslie Wheelock (USDA, Tribal Relations)
Peter Bretting (USDA/ARS)
Catherine Woteki (USDA/REE)
• Response to AC 21 Recommendations
— Provide guidance to USDA on how the Agency should work with
stakeholders (to include public and private seed breeders,
producers and distributors, as well as end-users and tribal
governments) to ensure the ongoing availability of an adequate
pool of appropriate germplasm for the breeding of organic, non-
GE and GE crops.
— Adopted a systems approach that identified the principal
players, problems, solutions, and recommendations at different
stages of the seed development process:
Third Meeting
Sept 23 – 25, 2014, Ames, Iowa
8. Steps in seed development
Uncharacterized germplasm for breeding
Characterized germplasm
New lines and hybrids in appropriate forms
Seed for farmers
Harvested products for processors and consumers
Crops with GE varieties widely grown in the US
At least eight major crops
Corn
Soybeans
Cotton
Canola
Alfalfa
Sugar beets
Papaya
Squash
Third Meeting (Continued)
Sept 23 – 25, 2014, Ames, Iowa
9. Third Meeting (Continued)
Sept 23 – 25, 2014, Ames, Iowa
Organic Non GE
Germplasm
Access Points
Issues/Components Recommendation(s) Germplasm
Access Points
Issues/Components Recommendation(s)
Access to
uncharacterized
germplasm for
breeding
Primarily NPGS, and
also other sources.
Material Transfer
Agreements
associated with
other public-sector
collections.
Recognize tribal
governance over
tribal genetic
resources and
address tribal
issues in germplasm
collections.
NPGS provides data
on genetic coverage
and access to viable
seed for crops listed
below.
Survey the curators
of the NPGS to
identify an inventory
of uncharacterized
germplasm missing
from the NPGS for the
eight crops.
Where appropriate,
USDA should
facilitate collection of
and access to
uncharacterized
germplasm currently
outside of its
management and
control.
Access to
uncharacterized
germplasm for
breeding
Primarily NPGS and
also other sources.
Material Transfer
Agreements associated
with other public-
sector collections
Recognize tribal
governance over tribal
genetic resources and
address tribal issues in
germplasm collections.
Survey the curators of
the NPGS to identify an
inventory of
uncharacterized
germplasm missing
from the NPGS for the
eight crops.
Where appropriate,
USDA should facilitate
collection of and
access to
uncharacterized
germplasm currently
outside of its
management and
control.
NPGS provides data
on genetic coverage
and access to viable
seed for crops listed
below.
10. Third Meeting (Continued)
Sept 23 – 25, 2014, Ames, Iowa
Other recommendations:
• Increase succession planning for plant breeders
• Assessment of Bayh-Dole impacts
• Where relevant and appropriate, genetic diversity in crop wild
relatives should be collected and maintained.
• It is to everyone’s advantage that the traits are where they
should be.
Reputation
Maintaining global grain trade
The testing methodologies will always be developed so that
it is important they are widely available and cost-effective
for the benefit of the entire crop breeding sector and NPGS
is not restricted in its abilities to undertake core activities.
11. Other Recommendations (Continued)
•The NPGS collection is not fully characterized and includes no
proprietary lines. Characterization and evaluation are two areas where
the USDA budget is stressed and need to be increased so
that NPGS is not restricted in its abilities to undertake core activities.
•The NPGS collection is strong but not complete; are additional lines
available through international collaborations? Granted that the NPGS
collections are intended for researchers, educators and breeders, could
they also make germplasm available to unconventional, small-scale
breeders and “hobbyists” through a third-party clearinghouse?
•Strongly encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to seek ratification of
the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture by the U.S. Senate.
Third Meeting (Continued)
Sept 23 – 25, 2014, Ames, Iowa
12. National Genetics
Resource Advisory
Council (NGRAC)
Thank you!
Questions?
In the future, focus on:
The value of genetic resources
and communicating the value
to all stakeholders, and
Envision issues that could
potentially arise 50 years into
future.
