The 1998 Genetic Resource Management Meetings are being held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s North Central Regional Plant Introduction Center at Iowa State July 20-24.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the four regional centers in the United States, which were established to maintain the genetic diversity of crop plants.

Mark Widrlechner, horticulturist at the Ames center, said the center is hosting meetings of organizations from around the country.

“We have 11 different national and regional meetings going on at the farm and nearby Holiday Inn Gateway Center,” Widrlechner said.

He said over 100 people attended an open house at the farm on Tuesday.

“We have nice facilities, and we were able to show them to plant genetic research experts from all over,” Widrlechner said.

Larry Lockhart, superintendent of the Plant Introduction Farm, said he thought the tour generated a very positive response.

“I think people were generally impressed by the scope of the project here,” Lockhart said.

He said the center employs 30 full-time employees, 18 USDA employees and 12 ISU employees from the department of agronomy.

“We also fill about 20 full-time equivalent positions with students,” Lockhart said. “We have about 43 students working here this summer.”

Lockhart said several important characteristics probably led to Ames being chosen as a plant introduction site 50 years ago.

“It probably had something to do with having ISU here. Also, Iowa is an outstanding place to grow corn,” Lockhart said.

He said that the NCR PIC is responsible for maintaining 44,000 plant populations, spanning about 1,400 different species and 300 genre. He said about 15,000 of those populations are corn populations.