Building resource-efficient community databases using open-source software

The unprecedented volume of big data being routinely generated for nonmodel crop species, coupled with advanced technology enabling the use of big data in breeding, gives further impetus for the need to have access to crop community databases, where all relevant data are curated and integrated. Funding for such databases is, however, insufficient and intermittent, resulting in the data being underutilized. While increased awareness of the importance of funding databases is important, it is practically necessary to find a more efficient way to build a community database. To meet the need for integrated database resources for various crop genomics, genetics, and breeding research communities, we have built five crop databases over the last decade using an open-source database platform and software. We describe the system and methods used for database construction, curation, and analysis protocols, and the data and tools that are available in these five crop databases. Database URL: The Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR, www.rosaceae.org), the Genome Database for Vaccinium (GDV, www.vaccinium.org), the Citrus Genome Database (CGD, www.citrusgenomedb.org), the Pulse Crop Database (PCD, www.pulsedb.org), and CottonGen (www.cottongen.org).