diff --git a/src/main/java/org/breedinginsight/brapps/importer/services/processors/GermplasmProcessor.java b/src/main/java/org/breedinginsight/brapps/importer/services/processors/GermplasmProcessor.java
index de5eb65ae..e91d091f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/breedinginsight/brapps/importer/services/processors/GermplasmProcessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/breedinginsight/brapps/importer/services/processors/GermplasmProcessor.java
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ public Map<String, ImportPreviewStatistics> process(ImportUpload upload, List<Br
     private void processNewGermplasm(Germplasm germplasm, ValidationErrors validationErrors, Map<String, ProgramBreedingMethodEntity> breedingMethods,
                                      List<String> badBreedingMethods,
                                      Program program, UUID importListId, boolean commit, PendingImport mappedImportRow, int i, User user, Supplier<BigInteger> nextVal) {
+        germplasm = removeBreedingMethodBlanks(germplasm);
         // Get the breeding method database object
         ProgramBreedingMethodEntity breedingMethod = null;
         if (germplasm.getBreedingMethod() != null) {
@@ -358,6 +359,14 @@ private void processNewGermplasm(Germplasm germplasm, ValidationErrors validatio
         importList.addDataItem(newGermplasm.getGermplasmName());
     }
 
+    // Removes leading and trailing blanks from the germplasm breedingMethod
+    private Germplasm removeBreedingMethodBlanks(Germplasm germplasm) {
+        if(germplasm.getBreedingMethod() != null ) {
+            germplasm.setBreedingMethod(germplasm.getBreedingMethod().strip());
+        }
+        return germplasm;
+    }
+
     private boolean processExistingGermplasm(Germplasm germplasm, ValidationErrors validationErrors, List<BrAPIImport> importRows, Program program, UUID importListId, boolean commit, PendingImport mappedImportRow, int rowIndex) {
         BrAPIGermplasm existingGermplasm;
         String gid = germplasm.getAccessionNumber();