PROPOSED ECOLOGICAL DESCRIPTORS AND THEIR UTILITY FOR PLANT GERMPLASMCOLLECTIONS

Plant germplasm collections are important repositories of genes that e nsure potentially useful sources of genetic variation are preserved fo r future uses. Detailed information about genetic differences among in dividuals or groups of accessions can be helpful for management and ut ilization of germplasm collections, Presently, a description of the co llection site is required when collecting accessions, but the kinds an d amount of information recorded that describe the natural environment al features of the collection site may vary greatly depending on the c ollector, This paper discusses the need for providing standardized and detailed ecological descriptors for collected accessions that ran be entered into the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database and provides a set of n ecessary tools to accomplish this. Proposed in this paper are (i) a fl exible set of ecological descriptors that capture the most important e cological features of the collection site and its environment so that a standardized description can be given of the natural conditions wher e accessions are found, (ii) a revised accession data collection form that can be used to describe the natural features of the collection si te, and (iii) a method to retroclassify poorly documented accessions t hat do not have detailed descriptions of the collection site, The wide ly adapted perennial forage legume birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculat us L.) is used to demonstrate the principles presented in this paper.