Introductions Identification

Introduction Identification

This tutorial explains how to use Tools > Introduction Identification in CIERA to generate an introduction-history workbook from a germplasm list.

Audience: CIERA users who need to identify Swift Current line names and alternate names for entries in an introduction list.

What this tool does

The Introduction Identification tool lets you select an existing germplasm list and export a spreadsheet of matching introduction lines. For the selected list, CIERA looks up the entries, resolves their preferred names and related GIDs, keeps the Swift Current line-name matches, and opens the results in Excel.

The output workbook contains these columns:

Column	Description
DESIGNATION	The preferred designation/name for the matched introduction line.
ALTERNATE NAMES	Alternate names found for the matched line.
GID	The germplasm identifier for the matched line.

Before you begin

Make sure that:

1. You are signed in to CIERA and connected to the database used by your breeding program.
2. The germplasm list you want to search already exists in CIERA/GMS.
3. Microsoft Excel is available on the workstation if you want the results to open automatically as a workbook.
4. You know where your target list appears in the germplasm-list hierarchy.

Open the Introduction Identification window

1. Start CIERA.
2. On the main menu, open Tools.
3. Select Introduction Identification.
4. CIERA opens the Introduction History Search window.

Screen overview

CIERA - Introduction Identification

The Introduction History Search window has two main areas:

• Step 1: Choose a list of introductions — a tree view of germplasm-list folders and lists.
• List details — read-only context fields that populate after you select a valid list:
• List Name
• List Description
• List Date

At the bottom of the window, the Next button runs the introduction-history search for the selected list.

Choose an introduction list

1. In Step 1: Choose a list of introductions, expand the folder hierarchy until you find the list you want.
2. Click the list name.
3. Confirm that the List Name, List Description, and List Date fields populate with the expected information.

Tip: If the details fields do not populate, you may have selected a folder or inactive/non-list item instead of a searchable germplasm list. Expand the folder and choose the actual list beneath it.

Run the search

1. After selecting the correct list, click Next.
2. Wait while CIERA gathers introduction lines and prepares the output.
3. When processing finishes, CIERA opens the results in Excel.

Interpret the results

Review each row in the Excel output:

• Use DESIGNATION as the preferred line designation returned by CIERA.
• Use ALTERNATE NAMES to cross-reference aliases, historical names, or other naming conventions.
• Use GID when you need to confirm the exact germplasm record in downstream CIERA/GMS workflows.

If the workbook is empty or does not contain the lines you expected, confirm that the selected germplasm list contains the correct entries and that those entries have corresponding Swift Current line names in the database.

Common messages and what to do

Message or symptom	Likely cause	What to do
“You clicked on a folder, not a germplasm list!”	A folder node was selected in the tree.	Expand the folder and select a list item, then click Next again.
“You must choose a germplasm list to continue!”	No active/searchable germplasm list was selected.	Select a valid list whose details populate in the right-side fields.
“There was a problem getting the introduction lines!”	CIERA could not complete the database lookup or output step.	Try again. If the issue persists, contact your CIERA administrator and include the list name you selected.
Excel does not open	Excel may not be installed, may be blocked by workstation policy, or CIERA may have failed during output.	Check whether Excel is available. If it is, rerun the search or contact your administrator.

Best practices

• Select the most specific introduction list available rather than a broad parent folder.
• Verify the List Name before clicking Next, especially when similarly named lists exist.
• Save the Excel output immediately after it opens if you need to keep a record of the search.
• Include the selected list name and date when sharing results with collaborators so they can reproduce the query.

Quick reference

1. Go to Tools > Introduction Identification.
2. Expand the list tree.
3. Select a germplasm list, not a folder.
4. Confirm the list details.
5. Click Next.
6. Review and save the Excel output.