Status of Plant Breeding for the USDA-ARS
Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit at
Tifton, Georgia
Andrea Maas, Xinzhi Ni, Matt Krakowsky, William F. Anderson,
Jeff Wilson, and Corley Holbrook;
USDA-ARS, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton , GA
ABSTRACT
As of 1996 it was estimated that in the United States, 2205 science years were devoted to plant breeding
with 706 of those at public institutions and 1499 by individuals in industry. These statistics represent a
dramatic shift from thirty years ago when plant breeding was a predominantly public effort. The increase of
the commercial sector has been largely attributed to changes in intellectual-property laws that introduced a
legal framework for plant protection. Current statistical information to develop a clear understanding of the
status of plant breeding in the United States is needed. The Crop Genetics and Breeding Research at Tifton
Georgia is comprised of six scientists including four plant breeders, one plant pathologist, and one
entomologist. The scope of breeding effort includes seven crop species (corn, peanut, pearl millet, rhizome
peanut, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and napier grass), for four primary end uses (grain, forage, bioenergy,
and turf), accomplished by 4.2 science years of effort annually. There have been eleven germplasm and
seven cultivars releases in the last five years by unit scientists. Breeding science year efforts within the unit
have generally remained stable but focus has shifted to include the application of MAS. As this is a federal
institution very minimal time is devoted to breeding education, however some time is devoted to serving on
graduate committees.
224148
290901
204438
C.crossI
CcrossIII
316536
316416
316418
316536A
513
597
598
255457
287154
204
22610
225809
292059
Coffee210
192
144
316510
316507
7
292602
292228
290661
286583
292142
286582
291193
235
289917
289748
289750
290885
293641
266768
301862
301858
206553
316419
329
Callie367
203456
212293
293606
290902
290885
290895
290887
289930
291588
161
287139
291575
288222
287155
287156
290891
224693
288221
289716
290899
290879
290877
225809
111
291587
290667
224568
289926
291614
292246
289930
292544
291584
291958
198
291744
289613
291164
291161
291155
291150
291158
291749
291190
316536B
291712
291176
290666
288217
290884
290884
224692
291576
287246
Callie296
290901
294467
290872
290812
290664
295114
290813
308193
290895
223357
Tifton44
291965
514
225591
141
C.crossII
568
56
315904
316420
131
218
289749
290660
290896
224129
130
Tifton68
431
331
348
255450
Tifton84
292247
292601
292252
287708
288043
248
291957
292509
292253
224128
291962
210
320876
559
293616
292143
289929
255456
395
293653
292057
288044
0.40
0.55
0.70
0.84
*
Part I. Breeding efforts by crop
Crop Group
PYs
Bahiagrass
Bermudagrass
Corn
Napiergrass
Peanut
Pearl millet
Rhyzoma peanut
Total
0.2
.9
.7
.1
.8
1.3
.2
4.2
Releases in the past five years
Germplasm
Cultivars
2
1
*
*
4
*
*
*
5
4
*
2
*
*
11
7
*Four of six scientists on the team were hired in the last 5 years and have introduced new species or modified breeding
goals and directions causing a delay/lack of releases.
1
Part II. Breeding efforts by activity
0.99
Coefficient
Activity
PYs
(a) Plant Breeding Research
.75
(b) Germplasm Enhancement
%
50
3
18
1.55
15
50
37
5
(c) Cultivar Development
1.35
(d) Biotechnology Research and Development
.45
(e) Plant Breeding Education
.1
2
Total
4.2
100
46
32
80
60
11
Parts III & IV. Recent Graduated and current graduate students
enrollment & Job placement of recent graduates
One MS student now at Monsanto. Our unit leader feels that demand for breeders
remains the same however scope and form have changed. In general however, our group
believes that demand for breeders has decreased or changed to more molecular science
due to industry consolidation and lack of university support for classical breeding.
Part V. Plant breeding course offerings at your institution
Our team is from USDA-ARS and there fore does not have class offerings
Part VI. Institutional philosophy, strengths, weaknesses, future plans, other comments
The published mission of our organization is: “ARS conducts research to develop and
transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information
access and dissemination to: 1.ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural
products, 2.assess the nutritional needs of Americans, 3. sustain a competitive agricultural
economy enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and 4.provide
economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole.”. This
ideal is reflected to varying degree in all team members individual views, although how this
is applied to individual research is much more PI specific. One of the major changes in
future directions of the breeding programs related an interest to increase the molecular
tool box for application to breeding work.
1