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Germplasm Research Receives
$5 Million Increase (7-30-01)
Last
week, the Senate Appropriations committee included an increase of $5
million for the USDA's National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) in its
version of the FY 2002 agricultural appropriations bill. The NPGS collects,
preserves, evaluates, and distributes germplasm that is essential for
the development of new corn hybrids and other plant varieties.
The
NPGS collection of corn stocks has increased dramatically as a result
of the plant genome program and additional funding is needed to ensure
that these essential breeding tools are accessible to all public and
private plant breeders, noted Vic Miller, a farmer from Oelwein, Iowa,
and chair of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Customer &
Business Development Action Team.
The
NPGS sites at Ames, Iowa, and Urbana, Ill., play key roles in the development
of new corn hybrids. The bill is expected to be approved by the full
Senate before the August congressional recess.
Last
reviewed July 30, 2001
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