Passport and phenotypic data on germplasm and breeding lines are available from worldwide sources in various electronic formats. These data can be collated into a single database format to enable strategic interrogation to make the best use of data for effective germplasm use and enhancement. The International Crop Information System (http://www.icis.cgiar.org) is an open-source project under development by a global community of crop researchers and includes applications designed to achieve the storage and interrogation of pedigree and phenotypic data.