b'Wild grass samples are being collected from all over the globethis particular patch is located outside of Tuscon, Arizonia.Gathering Wild GeneticsWILD GRASS GENES ALSO USED TO IMPROVE WHEATSome wild grass samples are being collected in fresh form from all around the world. We do some collections ourselves, spear- Genetic information from wild grasses is also used extensively in wheat headed by senior technician Taylor AuBuchon-Elder, explains Kellogg. We also have collaborators who send us samples.improvement at facilities such as the International Maize and Wheat Weve received, for example, 55 species from Madagascar fromImprovement Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT). Its one of 15 Maria Vorontsova at the Royal Botanic Gardens-Kew in the UK.research centres operated by CGIAR, a global research partnership dedicated to The other type of sample is dried tissue taken from collec- reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural tions held at facilities such as the Missouri Botanical Garden.resources and ecosystem services. However, while the plant material found in these facilities is diverse, Kellogg explains that due to its age and the preservationCIMMYT scientists such as Ricardo Rodriguez, A. Mujeeb-Kazi, David Bonnet and treatments that may have been applied, the quality is not alwaysMasahiro Kishii have integrated diversity from wild grass relatives into pre-bred good enough to make gene sequencing easy or possible. wheat germplasm. Chromosomal translocations from wild wheat relatives The pandemic has obviously halted the travel required tohave incorporated specific biotic and abiotic stress tolerances into the cultivated obtain samples from around the world and AuBuchon-Elderswheat genepool, explains Tom Payne, director of the CIMMYT wheat gene most-recent trip was in the spring, to Puerto Rico. She and another lab tech drove around for a week and man- bank. CIMMYT pre-bred and advanced improved germplasm is freely available aged to get two plants from one grass species, says Kellogg,to researchers worldwide and has resulted in the annual release of dozens of and they arrived back the day the U.S. government required avarieties by our partners.two-week quarantine period for returning travellers.But pandemic or not, the permit process required to take plant material out of various countries and into the U.S. hasthat stands out for Kellogg is the Milnes and Prairie Preserve in always been challenging.New Mexico, owned by the Nature Conservancy (TNC). The permitting process is actually fairly simple for PuertoIts never been plowed, like the millions of acres of the North Rico because of it is part of the U.S., says Kellogg. The hardestAmerican Tall Grass Prairie that have been plowed and converted place in the world to complete the permit process is India. Iveto cropland, she explains. Cattle are grazed there, but the land tried, others have tried and no one has had any success. Theremanagement is amazing and the plants are really healthy. There are several hundred wild Andropogoneae species there andare only small patches of the Tall Grass Prairie ecosystem left and getting samples from there is at the top of my wish list. SecondTNC has been very helpful in protecting what remains. to India, Id like to get samples from Indonesia as we dont haveShe adds that other organizations doing important conserva-many from that region at this time.tion work include the National Park Service and state depart-In terms of collecting samples within the U.S., the locationments of conservation. 28/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020'