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Ch. 8— The Application of Genetics to Plants • 161 
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Issues and Options — Plants 
ISSl'E: Should an assessment he eon- 
dueti'd to determine hoi%' iiuich 
plant ^ermplasni mreds to he 
maintained? 
An understanding ot how much germplasm 
should he protected and maintaineil would 
make the management of genetic resources 
simpler. But no complete answers e.xist; nohody 
knows how much diversity is being lost by 
vegetation displacement in areas mostly outside 
the United States. 
OPTIONS: 
A. Congress could commission a study on how 
much genetic variability is needed or desirable 
to meet present and future needs. 
A comprehensive evaluation of the National 
Germplasm System’s needs in collecting, eval- 
uating. maintaining, and distributing genetic 
resources for plant breeding and research could 
serve as a baseline for further assessment. This 
ev aluation would require e.xtensiv e cooperation 
among the Federal, State, and private compo- 
nents linked to the National Germplasm System. 
B. Congress could commission a study on the 
I need for international cooperation to manage 
I and preserve genetic resources both in natural 
ecosystems and in repositories. 
This inv estigation could include an evaluation 
of the rate at which genetic diversity is being 
lost from natural and agricultural systems, and 
an estimate of the effects this loss will have. Un- 
j til such information is at hand. Congress could: 
• Instruct the Department of State to have its 
delegations to the United Nations Educa- 
tional, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 
(UNESCO) and United Nations Environmen- 
tal Program (UNEP) encourage efforts to es- 
tablish biosphere reserves and other pro- 
tected natural areas in less developed coun- 
tries, especially those within the tropical 
latitudes. These reserves would serve as a 
source for continued natural mutation and 
variation. 
• Instruct the Agency for International De- 
velopment (AID) to place high priority on, 
and accelerate its activities in, assisting less 
developed countries to establish biosphere 
reserves and other protected natural areas, 
providing for their protection, and support 
associate research and training. 
• Instruct the International Bank for Recon- 
struction and Development (World Bank) to 
give high pi'ioritv to providing loans to 
those less developed countries that wish to 
establish biosphere reserv es and other pro- 
tected natural areas as well as to promote 
activ ities related to biosphere reserve pres- 
ei'vation, and the research and manage- 
ment of these areas and resources. 
• Make a one-time special contribution to 
LfNESCO to accelerate the establishment of 
biosphere reserves. 
Such measures for in situ preservation and 
management are necessary for long-term main- 
tenance of genetic diversity. Future needs are 
difficult to predict; and the resources, once lost 
are irreplaceable. 
C. Congress could commission a study on how to 
develop an early warning system to recognize 
potential vulnerability of crops. 
A followup study to the 1972 National Acad- 
emy of Science’s report on major crop vul- 
nerability could be commissioned. Where high 
genetic uniformity still exists, proposals could 
be suggested to overcome it. In addition, the 
avenues by which private seed companies could 
be encouraged to increase the levels of genetic 
diversity could be investigated. The study could 
also consider to what extent the crossing of 
natural breeding barriers as a consequence of 
the new genetic technologies will increase the 
risks of crop vulnerability. 
ISSUE: What are the most appropriate 
approaches for overcoming the 
various technical constraints 
that limit the success of molec- 
ular genetics for plant improve- 
ment? 
