Soybean Crop Germplasm Committee

The Crop Germplasm Committee (CGC) is a generic name for a specific national working group of specialists providing analysis, data, and advice about germplasm within a specific crop or group of related crops of present or future economic importance. In accordance with this convention, this committee will be named the Soybean Crop Germplasm Committee.

The function of the Soybean Crop Germplasm Committee is to serve soybean commodity groups and provide expert advice to individuals or organizations such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES), and others on technical matters relating to plant germplasm, its collection, preservation, and effective utilization. Duties and Responsibilities are as follow:.

  • Develop a strategic overview of the total national scientific effort in the study and utilization of soybean germplasm and recommend cooperative approaches for improvements in the germplasm management system where needs are apparent.
  • Assess the adequacy of the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection and make recommendations to appropriate governmental and private agencies for increasing the Collection via additional exploration, exchange, or acquisition.
  • Assess progress in soybean breeding and the role germplasm resources might play in improving traits of economic importance.
  • Suggest guidelines for the effective regeneration, distribution, evaluation and utilization of accessions in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection.
  • Provide a means for soybean scientists or commodity groups to voice opinions on needs for plant germplasm resources and their utilization to those individuals responsible for these areas at the national level.
  • Develop concise reports when requested on ongoing germplasm activities, resource needs, and action plans.

Current Soybean Crop Germplasm Committee members are

Member Organization Committee Role Term
Ben Fallen USDA-ARS Chair, Public Breeder, South 2023-2028
Pedro Gonzalez-Portilla Benson Hill Vice-Chair, Private Breeder, North 2023-2028
Milad Eskandari University of Guelph Canadian Breeder 2021-2024
Jon Allen Corteva Plant Pathologist 2023-2026
Ian McNish Syngenta Plant Pathologist 2023-2026
Alvaro Sanz-Saez Auburn University Physiologist 2023-2026
Jason Gillman USDA-ARS Physiologist, molecular geneticist, biochemist, genomicist, cytogeneticist 2023-2026
Guo-liang Jiang Virginia State University Geneticist 2023-2026
Aaron Lorenz University of Minnesota Public Breeder, North 2023-2026
Innan Cervantes-Martinez BASF Public Breeder, South 2023-2026
Roy Scott USDA-ARS Ex-Officio, NPL-Oilseed/Bioscience Permanent
Adam Mahan USDA-ARS Ex-Officio, Soybean Curator Permanent
Benjamin Barlett USDA-ARS Ex-Officio and Secretary, Assistant Soybean Curator Permanent
Rusty Smith USDA-ARS Ex-Officio, Assistant Soybean Curator Permanent
Lisa Weaver United Soybean Board Ex-Officio, United Soybean Board Permanent

Committee Meeting Minutes and Reports