2011 New Crops CGC Meeting, Fargo, ND; Ramada Inn, September 11, 2011.

In attendance: Dave Dierig, chair; Terry Coffelt, Candice Gardner, Barbara Hellier, Terry Isbell, Laura Marek, Colleen McMahan, Mark Widrlechner, Win Phippen, Dennis Ray, Frank Forcella, Matt Jenks, Grace Chen, Mark Cruz.

Agenda and associated discussion:

1. Welcome and introductions. All persons in attendance introduced themselves.

2. Conference call with Beltsville was not able to take place. Mark Bohning was expecting to give a report via phone so did not send one. Candy reported that some release of GRIN global would happen around the end of September and at the end of 2012 for the US. There would be a coordinated effort to be sure work flow functioned at sites as they need it to.

3. Peter Bretting send a report via email; copies were distributed.

4. Mark Widrlechner presented an update on the Medicinal Crops CGC which requested transfer of 8 crops from New Crops which was approved. For now, the Medicinal CGC is focusing its efforts on certain specific crops rather than any plant with some medicinal purpose. Crops being transferred are included in Table 1.

5. Several attendees agreed to become New Crops CGC members: Matt Jenks (Maricopa USDA ARS location, [ALARC] Plant Phys and Genetics Unit), Grace Chen (USDA ARS Albany, CA location [WRRC-CIU], plant physiologist) and Mark Cruz (USDA ARS Ft Collins, CO post-doc [NCGRP]).

6. Barbara Hellier gave a preliminary report of data she has collected so for from her evaluation of the Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) collection. She indicated that 60 of 63 accessions have been analyzed for fructans and about half have been analyzed for rubber. Germination wasn’t as good as hoped for and after good survival of the common garden planted in 2009 to 2010, there was much gopher damage to plots during the winter of 2010-2011. The roots are 20-30% sugar so attractive to some animals. Phenotyping of at least one plant per accession took place in 2010. TKS is well adapted to more northern areas but has a wide range of adaptation as shown in the 1940’s study (NY, MN, MT, ND, and OH). There was a Kazak botanist traveling with the plant collection party in Kazakistan to ensure properly identified material and the group was very conservative in its collection parameters observing horn bracts on all plants among other considerations. One accession appears to have a mix of different morphologies. There has been some naturalization in areas where TKS was grown during the war for emergency rubber production (Czechoslovakia, Uzbekistan). There is no recent agronomic data. It is apparently cross pollinating and all accessions have the same ploidy but the number is not known at this time.

7. No collection proposals were submitted.

8. Some discussion about the need for a crop vulnerability statement to assist the ARS Office of National Programs. Mark W suggested modeling a statement after the form of the woody landscape report also a very diverse CGC lacking agronomic data for many crops. Candy, Dennis and Dave agreed to become a subcommittee and to develop some kind of a statement.

9. If funding becomes available for Germplasm Evaluation, the committee will solicit proposals.

10. Curator reports were presented. From Ames, Mark W. presented his report, Laura presented her report and David Brenner’s report. From Pullman, Barbara presented her report and Vicki Bradley’s report. Gabriela Roman, Parlier, CA, sent a report by email. [Brad Morris?]

11. Candy Gardner was elected to be the new chair of the New Crops CGC.

12. The next meeting will be November 11-14 in Sonoma, CA hosted by Colleen McMahan.

Table 1. Current New Crop CGC Taxa to be transferred to Medicinal CGC

Species / Family / Common Name
1 / Panax quinquefolius / Araliaceae / ginseng
2 / Mentha sp. (37 species) / Lamiaceae / mint
3 / Ocimum basilicum / Lamiaceae / basil
4 / Hypericum perforatum / Hypericaceae / St. Johns wort
5 / Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia , E. pallida plus 6 other wild species. / Asteraceae / Echinacea
6 / Salvia hispanica / Lamiaceae / Chia
7 / Oenothera biennis / Onagraceae / evening primrose
8 / Agave sp., Yucca sp., Hesperaloe sp. (H) / Asparagaceae / Agave/Yucca, Hesperaloe (H)
9 / Tanacetum cinerariifolium, syn - Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium , T. coccineum Also:
feverfew and tansy (in other words the whole genus Tanacetum) / Asteraceae / Pyrethrum
10 / Anethum graveolens, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Pimpinella anisum / Apiaceae / umbels (dill, coriander, fennel, anise)
11 / Perilla sp. / Lamiaceae / Perilla
12 / Plantago ovata, P. psyllium / Plantaginaceae / Plantago
New Species of Interest - Suggested by committee for Inclusion in MEOCGC
Species / Family / Common Name
1 / Hydrastis canadensis / Ranunculaceae / Goldenseal
2 / Sambucus nigra / Adoxaceae / European black elderberry
3 / Valeriana officinalis / Valerianaceae / valerian
4 / Actaea racemosa / Ranunculaceae / black cohosh
5 / Serenoa repens / Arecaceae / saw palmetto
6 / Camelia sinensis / Theaceae / tea
7 / Ginkgo biloba / Ginkgoaceae / Ginkgo
8 / Glycyrrhiza glabra / Fabaceae / cultivated licorice
9 / Prunella vulgaris / Lamiaceae / selfheal, heal all
10 / Sambucus canadensis / Adoxaceae / American elderberry
11 / Scutellaria spp. / Lamiaceae / skullcap
12 / Ulmus rubra / Ulmaceae / slippery elm