1. Phenotyping Clare Coyne & Melanie Harrison-Dunn, curators

2. NPGS goals Aligned with USDA President’s Agenda Agricultural Research Service goals –In response to Stakeholder’s needs Focus CROP research to benefit USA agriculture

3. Action Plan: National Program 301 - Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement (draft) Relationship of This National Program to the ARS Strategic Plan: Outputs of NP 301 research support the "Actionable Strategies" associated with the performance measures shown below from the ARS Strategic Plan for 2003- 2007, Objective 1.2: Contribute to the Efficiency of Agricultural Production Systems; Objective 3.2: Develop and Deliver Science- Based Information and Technologies To Reduce the Number and Severity of Agricultural Pest, Insect, Weed, and Disease Outbreaks.

4. NPGS goals Focus: CROP research to benefit USA agriculture - Agricultural Research Service goals –In response to Stakeholder’s needs 2005 NP 301 Stakeholder workshop –PHENOTYPES of Accessions –Except Soybean, NP301 stakeholders mtg- genotypes

5. Problem Statement 1B. Conduct comprehensive phenotypic germplasm characterization and evaluation. A key component of Genetic Resource Management is the characterization of traits captured in the unique genetic collections. Without accurate identification of the unique characters inherent in each collection, the usefulness of these genetic resources to improve crop productivity, disease and pest resistance and tolerance of abiotic stresses would be greatly limited. While basic phenotypic characterization of many accessions within collections has been conducted, this characterization often has not included exhaustive characterization and evaluation of all traits needed for future breeding in light of a changing environment, new crop management practices and the continual onslaught of exotic diseases and pests. Research Needs: Phenotypic characterization and evaluation of the existing germplasm is critical for continued crop improvement to complement the growing database of genotypic characterizations. Characterization/descriptor data will be curator driven, whereas focused and/or expansive evaluations will be stakeholder and CGC driven in collaboration with curators. Once evaluation priorities have been established, major efforts will be needed to completely characterize, document and analyze vast amounts of phenotypic data from core collections and other collections. Outputs: A strategic plan will be developed to prioritize characterization and evaluation for each crop or group of crops. Comprehensive characterization and evaluation of key phenotypic and genotypic traits as identified by the user community, public and private, will be conducted and made available via GRIN on a crop-by-crop basis. Phenotypic data collected will provide the needed building blocks for the utilization of genotypic data to better characterize and locate valuable traits in large collections. Anticipated Impact: Valuable morphological character and evaluation data will be directly usable, in concert with genomic characterization, for germplasm development, improvement, and/or enhancement projects. This will be evidenced by a measurable increase in data points in GRIN, new accessions, more targeted utilization of material by users, determination of traits to identify superior germplasm, and other quantitative measures.

6. Current status (see Crop Obs.pdf for complete table, Curator Workshop web site) CropAccessions w/ data Number of traits Number of observations Wheat54,547441,182,828 Sorghum29,88973768,223 Soybean19,13063593,817 Barley27,43238443,500 Rice18,26733316,219 Maize20,17585266,218 Oat14,32532252,650 Phaseolus13,68152191,035 Sunflower3,418102142,675

7. Issues Setting goals by crop - discussion –Curator’s role –CGC Committee role Descriptors –Existing crop descriptors on GRIN –Resources CGIAR/IPGRI manuals (PDFs listed on website) Similar crops, ie organize groups of crops? New Crops CGC

8. Crop descriptor groups Grasses –Small grains (food or feed) –Forages –Turf Clonals –Segregated by plant part used Seed –Oil seed crops –Food or feed –Forage

9. Crop descriptor groups Chemical Disease Growth Morphology Nematode Stress Roots (new, not on GRIN yet) Phenology Production Comment Cytological Insect Molecular (define) Uncategorized (Core, Checks) GRIN Descriptor Groups (discussion)

10. Exporting GRIN data Where will the data be used? –Need to align DESCRIPTORS Breeders- Excel files sufficient? –How to make useable spreadsheet on public GRIN Curators/Researchers –SINGER –TASSEL –GERMINATE –SAS –Other?