Who is sowing our seeds? A systematic review of the use of plant genetic resources in research

Collections of plant genetic resources managed by genebanks function to conserve the range of genetic diversity present in crop genepools. They can facilitate access to valuable allelic variation for both plant breeders and researchers who are able to request germplasm for use in crop improvement and both basic and applied scientific research. The direct impact of genebank collections is often unclear as downstream uses of germplasm samples may not be reported back to the genebank of origin. This study aims to systematically review scientific use of germplasm using the UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB) as a model.