Abstract: A core collection is designed to minimize repetitiveness within the collection and should represent the genetic diversity of a crop species and its relations. The procedure of constructing a core collection is collecting and arranging , then grouping, sampling and evaluating the data. In this paper, we compare the constructing methods and evaluation strategies of a core collection, summarize the research work over in the past 20 years, analyze the present status and propose the core collection’s application in the future.

Key words: Core collection, Germplasm, Genetic resource, Plant