Development of a national center of genetic resources passport database: Managing agriculture, forestry, livestock, microbial, and aquatic genetic resources with an integrated schema

Abstract

Although databases for genetic resources have been developed, a comprehensive schema to manage such multiple subsystems as forestry, livestock, microbial, and aquatic germplasm has yet to be fully developed. Mexico's National Center of Genetic Resources faces the challenge of managing all of these subsystems; therefore, we projected an integral system to meet such demands. In this work, we present the first stage of implementing this system. We have developed a new schema and an input/output system for passport data that will improve the data management of multi-subsystem germplasm. This schema can unify all subsystems with a comprehensive identifier at the accession level. By establishing a sub-identifier, elements that were traditionally allocated as independent accessions would be set as a subgroup of the same accession. The sub-identifier allows variability in element treatments, facilitates diverse sample management, and avoids redundancy. The passport database is complemented by an effective insertion and retrieval system that will facilitate transition from the previous data management of individual subsystems to a subsystem-comprehensive database system.