Annual report, 1976

DURATION: 1975-ONGOING. DEVELOPMENTS: IN 1976, THE SECOND FULL YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD FOR PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (IBPGR), NUMEROUS COLLECTION ACTIVITIES FOR PRIORITY CROPS WERE CONDUCTED, MANY WITH BOARD FINANCING. SEVERAL REGIONAL PROGRAMS IN PRIORITY AREAS WERE INITIATED, AND TWO NEW GENETIC RESOURCES CENTERS BECAME OPERATIONAL. CROP GERMPLASM ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR FIVE OF THE WORLD"S PRINCIPAL FOOD CROPS MET AND SUBMITTED ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONSERVATION, EVALUATION, AND USE OF GENETIC RESOURCES FOR THOSE CROPS. ADVANCES WERE MADE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A COMPUTER-BASED DATA CLASSIFICATION AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO MAKE THE WORLD"S PRINCIPAL GERMPLASM COLLECTIONS MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO BREEDERS EVERYWHERE. THE PRINCIPAL AIM OF THE BOARD IS TO PROMOTE A WORLD-WIDE PROGRAM IN WHICH COLLECTION, CONSERVATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND EVALUATION ARE COORDINATED WITH REGARD TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AS WELL AS PARTICULAR CROPS. IN 1976 THE OUTLINES OF THE PROSPECTIVE WORLD NETWORK WERE MORE CLEARLY DEFINED, AND LINES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WORKERS AND INSTITUTIONS ESSENTIAL TO A COORDINATED PROGRAM WERE ESTABLISHED AND ARE BEING USED.