Working group session:
Germplasm and Genetic Stocks
Presentation type:
poster
Authors:
Frelichowski, James; Percy, Richard; Ellis, David
Presenter:
Frelichowski, James
Correspondent:
Frelichowski, James
Abstract:
The U.S. Cotton Germplasm Collection is the largest publicly available cotton collection worldwide, serving as a rich resource for cotton improvement and genetic research. The collection faces two major challenges: meeting the steadily increasing demand for seed and information from the germplasm collection in the face of static or decreasing budget resources, and improving the management and knowledge database of the collection. Reducing bottlenecks and streamlining operations is one approach to better handle the workload. Barcoding the collection and harvested samples, integrating with electronic counting scales, and improvements in cultural practices are ways to shorten times to produce and process seed. Collection of standardized morphological descriptors and field notes with electronic field tablets and collecting digital images in formats that are readily shared with the cotton community have been instituted to improve the collection database. Digital images are obtained to document reference vouchers and provide detailed examples of morphological descriptors used to characterize the collection. A more comprehensive, up to date, and interactive database is an expected outcome with our goal of improving the utility, management, and presentation of the collection for both the curator and user. This is also the prerequisite for scientific study of the collection (e.g. molecular markers), recruiting collaboration/feedback on observations of the collection, and comparisons with worldwide cotton collections for optimum use and conservation of Gossypium.