Unlocking nature's vault: Innovative tools for plant genebanks
Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) are material containing useful genetic variation in plant species, including their weedy and wild relatives. Collections of PGR are mined for useful traits as needed to respond to new biotic and abiotic stresses; incorporate new nutritional, yield, or value‐added traits; and create new markets or industries. PGR are also useful to identify genes encoding traits of interest; serve as training populations for new breeding methodologies such as genomic selection that integrate the latest genomic data with new statistical modeling; and underpin evolutionary and taxonomic studies. The genebanks of the USDA ARS National Plant Germplasm System have experienced progress and challenges in applying such tools and technologies to PGR maintenance and creation of data that will increase their utility. These tools include high‐throughput genotyping and phenotyping technologies that could be used by breeders to unlock their genetic potential, and to more efficiently and effectively manage the collections. Examples of these technologies used on PGR of the USDA ARS Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research Unit are presented, as are genebank success stories of entries that were used to create new breeding lines and cultivars to solve a problem faced by US farmers. Finally, current challenges and opportunities in PGR management and utilization are offered.