XVI International Botanical Congess

The USDA, ARS National Plant Germplasm System maintains crop germplasm and distributes it freely for research world wide. Within Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae the major crop genera are Amaranthus, Beta, Chenopodium, and Spinacia, they are represented in our collection by about six thousand accessions. This germplasm includes diverse types of cultivar, landrace, weed, and wild accessions. Controlled pollination methods have been developed to maintain the genetic integrity of our material through successive generations of seed production. The germplasm is used for plant breeding, systematics research, education, and many other purposes. Our germplasm database and ordering information are available on line at .