Sheena Campbell
Student Services Department
Student Services Librarian
Plant Breeding Information Resources
by Sheena Campbell – January 6, 2021
Use this guide to discover and use of information resources in plant breeding research. Please feel free to contact Sheena with questions, or to schedule a research consultation or an instruction session for your class or lab group.
Find Books, Dissertations, etc.
UC Davis provides access to three library catalogs from its home page:
UC Davis Library Catalog- For print and electronic resources at UC Davis
Melvyl Advanced -Shared catalog of all UC libraries (VPN required), access items through Interlibrary Loan
Libraries Worldwide (WorldCat) (VPN required)- Access items through Interlibrary Loan
Links to a guide to finding electronic books within, and beyond, the UCD Library’s collection.
*Note: Access to electronic books is campus specific. Use the UC Davis library catalog, or E-book collections in the Databases list, to find and access books through the UC Davis Library.
Make your search more efficient by:
- Selecting “Library Catalog Only” to exclude articles from the search (e.g. if you want to find books, not reviews of those books).
- Start your search in Google Books to find terms within the full text, then return to the library catalog to access a copy (since you’ll only be able to view samples of copyrighted materials in GB).
- Find books on plant breeding: Use the language of library catalogs and look for Subject Headings related to plant breeding in this document (see page 358). You can also find subject terms next to your search results in the UCD Library catalog (see image below).
- Hint: Books will be filed according to the main topics covered, so if you’re looking for works on wheat breeding, you may also want to use terms like cereals if you’re interested in broader works with a chapter on wheat. Note that specialized works will only be filed under the narrowest Subject Heading available, so a search for the Subject Heading Plant Breeding will not contain works filed under the narrower term, Plant Hybridization. Narrower Terms are identified with NT under each term in the document above. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a librarian!
- Hint: Books will be filed according to the main topics covered, so if you’re looking for works on wheat breeding, you may also want to use terms like cereals if you’re interested in broader works with a chapter on wheat. Note that specialized works will only be filed under the narrowest Subject Heading available, so a search for the Subject Heading Plant Breeding will not contain works filed under the narrower term, Plant Hybridization. Narrower Terms are identified with NT under each term in the document above. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a librarian!
Find Dissertations and Theses
Library Home > Databases > Search for “Dissertation” > Proquest Dissertations & Theses
This proprietary database helps you locate dissertations published since 1861 (theses began to be added later), which are usually only held at the institution where the degree was conferred. Sometimes, hard copies are available for interlibrary loan. A digital copy of works published after 1997 is available for purchase (you can suggest the library acquire it for our collection), or for free if the home institution is a UC campus.
Find Economic and Yield Data
Global agricultural statistics (FAOStat)
Agricultural production data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Example: Data > Producer Prices > [choose a crop, year, country]
International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS)
Composition data for foods.
Example: Tables and Databases > [choose a user guide to view contents]
US National Agricultural Statistics Service
The NASS Quick Stats Database is the most comprehensive tool for accessing agricultural data published by NASS. It allows you to customize your query by commodity, location, or time period.
Example: survey > crops > field crops > hops
Industry Groups
Industry groups often collect or repackage production and price data relevant to their membership. For example, the California Strawberry Commission releases various reports on the current and historical status of the strawberry market in the U.S., derived from both public and private data sources.
Find more resources in the Agricultural Statistics Research Guide
Find Archival Information
UC Davis Library Special Collections
Here is a list highlighting some archival collections relevant to the plant sciences.
Collections Related to Plant Breeding
Wild and domesticated species of plants and animals
University of California Genetic Resources Conservation Program records
Cacao
Basil George David Bartley papers, 1856-2007, bulk 1957-1999
Musk Melons
Oil crops
Grapes
The OAC is a website that provides free public access to detailed descriptions [and in some cases digital copies] of primary source collections (artwork, manuscripts, papers, historic photographs, and so on) maintained by more than 200 libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California — including collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.
ArchiveGrid provides descriptions of documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials held by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives. The majority of the records are from US institutions, and were harvested from the most comprehensive shared library catalog available to us, WorldCat.
Ex. search for Plant Breeding
Find Genetic Resources and Background Information
**The following lists are examples of each kind of source, and are by no means exhaustive.**
Genomic and Molecular Information
The Arabadopsis Information Resource (VPN connection required)
The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) maintains a database of genetic and molecular biology data for the model higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana . Data available from TAIR includes the complete genome sequence along with gene structure, gene product information, gene expression, DNA and seed stocks, genome maps, genetic and physical markers, publications, and information about the Arabidopsis research community. Gene product function data is updated every week from the latest published research literature and community data submissions. TAIR also provides extensive linkouts from data pages to other Arabidopsis resources.
Repbase (VPN connection required)
A database of representative repetitive sequences from eukaryotic species. According to its producer, Repbase is being used worldwide as the reference standard for annotating the presence of repetitive DNA in genomic data. Newly identified repetitive DNA elements reported in the monthly e-journal, Repbase Reports, are stored and shared in the Repbase database.
Descriptions, parentage, and trademark names of crops
Lists
Published descriptions
Search within “Register of New Fruit and Nut Cultivars” in the journal Hortscience.
library.ucdavis.edu > Journals A-Z > Hortscience > Search Within Journal
Government and international sources of germplasm and descriptions
Genetic Resources Information Network (USDA)
ICARDA: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Find other entities with Library of Congress Subject Headings:
Germplasm Repositories at UC Davis
C.M. Rick Tomato Genetic Resources Center
Phaff Yeast Culture Collection
Community Sources
Literature on Genebanks
Search library catalogs for subject headers like these: