Integrating Genomic and Phenomic Approaches to Support Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use
Gayle M. Volk,
Patrick F. Byrne,
Clarice J. Coyne,
Sherry Flint-Garcia,
Patrick A. Reeves,
Chris Richards
Affiliations
Gayle M. Volk
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Patrick F. Byrne
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Clarice J. Coyne
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
Sherry Flint-Garcia
Plant Genetics Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Patrick A. Reeves
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Chris Richards
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Plant genebanks provide genetic resources for breeding and research programs worldwide. These programs benefit from having access to high-quality, standardized phenotypic and genotypic data. Technological advances have made it possible to collect phenomic and genomic data for genebank collections, which, with the appropriate analytical tools, can directly inform breeding programs. We discuss the importance of considering genebank accession homogeneity and heterogeneity in data collection and documentation. Citing specific examples, we describe how well-documented genomic and phenomic data have met or could meet the needs of plant genetic resource managers and users. We explore future opportunities that may emerge from improved documentation and data integration among plant genetic resource information systems.
