diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 8f00f33509..10feeef5a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -23,10 +23,20 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
       - name: Get breedbase_dockerfile
+        if: startsWith(steps.extract_branch.outputs.branch, 'feature/') || startsWith(steps.extract_branch.outputs.branch, 'bug/')
         uses: actions/checkout@master
         with:
           repository: Breeding-Insight/breedbase_dockerfile
           path: breedbase_dockerfile
+          ref: 'develop'
+
+      - name: Get breedbase_dockerfile
+        if: startsWith(steps.extract_branch.outputs.branch, 'hotfix/')
+        uses: actions/checkout@master
+        with:
+          repository: Breeding-Insight/breedbase_dockerfile
+          path: breedbase_dockerfile
+          ref: 'master'
 
       - name: Get the submodules
         working-directory: ./breedbase_dockerfile
diff --git a/lib/CXGN/BrAPI/v2/Germplasm.pm b/lib/CXGN/BrAPI/v2/Germplasm.pm
index 2b7ec4265f..133eb537d7 100644
--- a/lib/CXGN/BrAPI/v2/Germplasm.pm
+++ b/lib/CXGN/BrAPI/v2/Germplasm.pm
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ sub store {
     # Check if pedigree parents don't exist
     my $missing_parents = '';
     foreach (@$pedigree_parents){
-        if (exists($accessions_missing_hash{$_})){
+        if (length($_) > 0 && exists($accessions_missing_hash{$_})){
             $missing_parents = $missing_parents . $_ ."," ;
         }
     }
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ sub store {
             }
             my $pedigree = $params->{pedigree} || undef;
             my $pedigree_array = _process_pedigree_string($pedigree);
-            my $mother = defined $pedigree_array && scalar(@$pedigree_array) > 0 ? @$pedigree_array[0] : undef;
+            my $mother = defined $pedigree_array && scalar(@$pedigree_array) > 0 && length(@$pedigree_array[0]) > 0 ? @$pedigree_array[0] : undef;
             my $father = defined $pedigree_array && scalar(@$pedigree_array) > 1 ? @$pedigree_array[1] : undef;
             my $synonyms = $params->{synonyms} || [];
             my @synonymNames;