Students transplant native grasses

Implementing the Seed Strategy creates jobs and provides career-building opportunities for students and early career professionals. Here, Washington State University students transplant Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) accessions for the Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research Unit of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The NPGS is a collaborative effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of agriculturally important plants. Indian ricegrass plants are being grown to replenish/regenerate seed in the genebank collection and to characterize genetic structure and diversity. Understanding the collection’s genetics allows for more effective conservation and management. Credit: Bailey Hallwachs, ARS.