Plant breeders require genetic diversity to develop cultivars that are productive, nutritious,
tolerant of biotic and abiotic stresses, and make efficient use of water and fertilizer. The USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) is a major source for global plant genetic resources (PGR), with accessions representing improved cultivars, breeding lines, landraces, and crop wild relatives (CWR), coupled with passport and trait evaluation data.
The goal of this article is to facilitate use of PGR in plant breeding programs.