Safeguarding plant genetic resources in the United States during global climate change

Abstract

Plant genetic resources (PGR) underpin the security of global agriculture. Rapid global climate change presents formidable challenges for ex situ and in situ PGR management programs that operate over extended timeframes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) maintains more than 605,000 PGR accessions representing over 16,300 plant species in 20 genebank locations. These PGR are maintained in cold storage as seeds and vegetative tissues that must be periodically regenerated; or as actively growing plants in fields, greenhouses, screenhouses, and in vitro; or in some cases within in situ reserves. The complicated relationships between crops and their growth environments present unique challenges regarding PGR maintenance under a changing climate. Here we present potential effects of climate change on ex situ PGR maintenance and reproductive success, pollinators and beneficial insects, pathogens and pests, infrastructure considerations, and wild populations within NPGS in situ reserves. We provide a novel tool that summarizes past US temperature and precipitation data alongside future climate projections to guide ongoing planning for the effects of climate change for NPGS genebanks throughout the United States. A series of case studies exemplify instances where climate change has already impacted NPGS PGR management. Ongoing improvements to NPGS PGR management in response to climate change require continued observations of the current effects, careful and innovative planning, and creative approaches to ensure that PGR are successfully conserved for future generations.