The EBS has three levels of information about germplasm:

1. Germplasm

2. Seed lot

3. Package

Germplasm

Germplasm is the highest level concept. A germplasm record can refer to:

• A new F1 cross

• A segregating F3 “line”

• A fixed doubled haploid line

• A landrace accession from the germplasm bank

• A single seed in a single-seed descent breeding pipeline

• . . . or any other kind of germplasm

Seed Lots

Whenever germplasm is harvested and preserved, it is associated with a seed lot. Typically a seed lot is defined by when, where, and how it was harvested.

For early-generation materials, we would expect that each germplasm would only be associated with one seed lot. But, when materials are considered to be fixed or static, each new seed increase or regeneration will produce a new seed lot, but it will not produce new germplasm.

For example:

Package

Packages represent physical entities. Each harvested seed lot could be stored in one or more package.

“Packages” can be envelopes, bags, flasks, or any other kind of container.

Packages are used as the source for experiments.

Seed quantities are associated with packages and packages can be assigned to specific inventory storage facilities.

General relationships:

Example of early generation / segregating materials:

Example of fixed materials: