RIBES L. GENE BANK MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

A world collection of Ribes species and cultivars is maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The NPGS is a cooperative effort by State, Federal, and private organizations to preserve plant genetic diversity by acquiring, preserving, evaluating, documenting, and distributing crop germplasm. The program provides scientists and breeders around the world with access to genetically diverse plant materials to help develop new cultivars that are resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. Clonal material and seeds from species and cultivars of currants and gooseberries were collected from throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, in accordance with international treaty requirements. Future efforts will continue to fill genetic gaps in collections. The Ribes collection is maintained at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon and its worksite at the Arctic and Subarctic Plant Gene Bank (ASPGB) in Palmer, Alaska. Accessions are evaluated for climatic adaptability, growth characteristics, fruit characteristics, and disease susceptibility. Resistance to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch.), powdery mildew (Podosphaera mors-uvae [Schwein] U. Braun & S. Takam and Podosphaera macularis [Wallr.] U. Braun & S. Takam), and other common diseases is determined through field observations and laboratory tests. The collection is screened for Tomato ringspot, Arabis mosaic, Tobacco rattle, Gooseberry vein-banding viruses, and phytoplasmas. Genetic fingerprints for standard cultivars are being developed through molecular marker analysis using simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Information on the Ribes collection and public access for requesting accessions is available online through the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). GRIN is available at http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs.