The Foundation Plant Services (FPS) renamed itself from Foundation Plant Materials Service on June 1.

"Now that we offer a broad range of plant related services as well as plant materials," director Deborah Golino says, "the new name better reflects our mission."

Since the 1950s, the Foundation Plant Services has been dedicated to the distribution of disease-tested, true-to-identity plant materials produced by UC researchers that are valuable to California's agricultural community, says Golino. 

"At this time, FPS is responsible for programs for grapes, strawberries, fruit trees, nut trees, roses and sweet potatoes," Golino says. "These programs have played a key national and international role in distributing new crop varieties and healthy planting stocks."

Golino explains that the name change has come about because, in addition to distributing elite plant materials, FPS has recently begun to provide access to new technology developed by UC researchers that can be used to improve plant stocks.

Today, biological and laboratory testing for plant viruses and bacteria is available as a custom service. And FPS recently launched a new service for the grape and wine industry.

Foundation Plant Services is located on the west side of campus, at the corner of Hopkins and Straloch roads. It is a departmental unit of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

-- Dateline staff report