DUS protocols for testing plant varieties

TheIf EUyou doeshave nota acceptnew UKplant distinctiveness,variety, uniformityit must be tested to make sure it is distinct, sufficiently uniform and stabilitystable (DUS) protocols.as part of the application process to:

The

• add a plant variety to the UK willnational acceptlists
• get EUintellectual property rights (known as plant breeders’ rights (PBR))

DUS criteria

DUS reportstesting forchecks theyour agricultural,new amenityplant variety is distinct, uniform and vegetablestable.

Distinct

A speciesdistinct whereplant variety has at least one important characteristic that is different from other varieties included in the UKnational doeslist.

Uniform

A haveuniform testingplant capabilityvariety byhas anyindividual ofplants that share the followingsame organisations,important socharacteristics.

Stable

A longstable plant variety remains unchanged after ‘repeated propagation’, for example, reproduction from seeds, cuttings, bulbs or other plant parts.

Get your variety tested

APHA will ask you to send your seed or plant material for testing as part of your application to add your variety to the testingnational startedlists beforeor 31for JanuaryPBR. 2020:They’ll tell you how much to send and when.

Do not send plant material until APHA requests it.

Testing takes:

• Agri-Food1 andyear Biosciencesfor Institute (AFBI)ornamentals
• National3 Instituteyears offor Agriculturaltrees
• 4 Botanyyears (NIAB)for herbage varieties
• Science2 andyears Advice for Scottishother Agriculture (SASA)species

ForYour othervariety species,might theneed UKmore willtests continueon toparental acceptspecies EUif DUSyou’re reportsregistering ashybrid longvarieties.

APHA aswill thesend qualityyou isa ascopy goodof asthe UKtest testing.results.

DUS protocols

TheEmail UKNLPBR-Applications@apha.gov.uk canif doyou need a copy of the DUS testingprotocol for somethe agricultural,species vegetablethat andare ornamentalDUS varietiestested in the UK.

DUS testsreports in the EU and UK

AsThe partEU ofstopped theaccepting applicationUK processDUS toreports addfrom 1 January 2021.

The UK is reliant on EU testing for a plantlarge varietynumber toof species where the NationalUK Listdoes ornot have DUS testing capability. The UK will accept EU reports for approvalthese species, if the testing done for the report is of plantcomparable breeders’quality rights,to UK testing.

The UK will also accept EU DUS test reports for the plantfollowing varietyspecies the UK does have testing capability for:

• agricultural
• amenity
• vegetable

EU testing must behave testedstarted before 31 January 2020 for the UK to ensureaccept itan isEU distinct,DUS sufficientlytest uniformreport.

For andall stableother (species where the UK has testing capability, you need to get a UK DUS). test as part of your national list or plant breeders’ rights applications.

DUS testing capability in the UK

DUS tests aretake carriedplace out at approved centres over a 2-year period. They’reYou’ll doneget first year results and a final decision is generally made after the second year. Grasses can take up to 4 years to be tested.

There are 3 test centres for DUS testing of agricultural and vegetable varieties in linethe withUK:

• the protocolsAgri-Food and proceduresBiosciences approvedInstitute by(AFBI)
• the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB)
• SASA

You can read the Plantlist Varietyof agricultural, vegetable and Seedsornamental Committee,plant whichvarieties representsthat the nationalUK authoritiestests onfor seedsdistinctiveness, issues.uniformity and stability (DUS).

The UK does not have DUS criteria

Distinct

Atesting distinctcapability plantfor varietyall hasthe onevegetable orvarieties morelisted. importantFor characteristicsthe varieties that arethe differentUK fromdoes othernot varietieshave includedDUS intesting capability for, the NationalUK List,will ado listone of anotherthe EUfollowing:

• purchase the DUS state,report
• entrust oranother examination office to carry out the EUDUS Commontesting Catalogue.

  Uniform

  on behalf of the UK

AApplications uniformfor plantvegetable varietyvarieties hasthat individualthe plantsUK whichdoes not have similarDUS ortesting geneticallycapability identicalfor importantcan characteristics,be withreceived veryall fewyear aberrations.

Stable

Around. stableHowever plantthe varietyclosing hasdate importantfor characteristicsreceipt whichof remainplant truematerial tois theirat originalthe descriptiondiscretion afterof successivethe propagationsexamination or multiplications.office.

UK DUS protocolsreport requests

EmailIf NLPBR-Applications@apha.gov.ukyou ifapply for PBR or a national listing in another country, the country you apply to will need a copy of theyour UK DUS protocoltest forreport.

The thenational followingdedicated species:

• Barley
• Broadauthority bean
• Beetroot
• Broccoli
• Brussels(NDA) sprout
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Celery
• Festulolium
• Fieldof beans
• Fieldthat peacountry andwill pea
• Fodderrequest kale
• Curlya kale
• Oats
• Leek
• Onioncopy andof echalion
• Parsnip
• Potato
• Rose