Plant Variety Release and Introduction System of Iran

What’s a variety? Lowest category of taxonomy Or an agricultural unit created and maintained by man, the first essential being that it should have an individuality which can be reproduced over a number of years, and secondly that it should be distinguishable by inherited morphological or physiological characters from other varieties

BREEDERS AND VARIETIES BREEDER THE ONE ENTITLED TO PROTECTION VARIETY THE SUBJECT MATTER OF PROTECTION

BREEDER The person who bred, or discovered and developed, a variety

DISCOVERY OR FIND DEVELOPMENT IS NECESSARY

PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION TWO MAIN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGIMES PATENT RIGHTS SUI GENERIS SYSTEM (PLANT VARIETY LAW)

PATENT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PATENTABLE INVENTION (PLANT VARIETY) New Inventive step Industrially applicable EFFECT EFFECT – EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS IN RESPECT OF PATENTED PLANT VARIETY

PVP SYSTEM THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS (THE UPOV CONVENTION) Basic legal system for the protection of plant varieties Provides a sui generis form of intellectual property protection Protection within the territory of each UPOV convention party the same treatment as is accorded by the laws of each party to its own nationals

NEED FOR PROTECTION Encourage innovation in the field of plant breeding Promote the progress of science Encourage the development of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society

CONDITION FOR PROTECTION NEW DISTINCT SUFFICIENTLY UNIFORM STABLE

DUS Growing Test CULTIVATION OF CANDIDATE VARIETIES COMPARISON WITH SIMILAR EXISTING VARIETIES (REFERENCE VARIETIES) EVALUATION OF CHARACTERISTICS - MORPHOLOGICAL (e.g. shize, shape, color) - PHYSIOLOGICAL (e.g. tolerance to deseases)

What is DUS Testing A test done before a protection is granted in respect of a new variety based on Article 7 of the UPOV Convention. The Variety must be: Distinct Uniform Stable

Why DUS Testing To generate basic description of the candidate variety using relevant characteristics To compare the candidate variety with the reference or Example variety To differentiate the candidate variety from “Varieties of Common Knowledge”

PROCEDURES AND COSTS An application The national PVP office Fees Examination Register Annual fee

VARIETY DENOMINATION Different Not liable to mislead or cause confusion Enable to identify the variety Not liable to give offence Not liable to affect prior rights Not consisting of numbers only

Requirements for Conducting DUS Tests A Test Guidelines prepared by leading crop experts as a basis for testing and should include the following: 1. Subject of the Guidelines 2. Plant materials required for Testing 3. Methods of Examination 4. Assessment of Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability Before Performing the DUS Test there should be:

Test Guidelines represent an agreed and harmonized approach for the examination of new varieties and should be the basis of the DUS test.

Conduct of Tests Duration of Tests Testing place Conditions for conducting the examination Test design Number of plants / Part of plants to be examined Additional test

Factors affecting expressions of characteristics 1. Pests and diseases 2. chemical treatments 3. Effect of tissue culture 4. Different rootstocks 5. Scion from different growth phases of a tree

State of Expression of Characteristics Qualitative characteristics – (QL) Type of expression depends on the genetic structure Expressed in discontinuous states All states necessary to describe the full range of characteristics Self explanatory states Not influenced by environment Example: Sex of plant: female (1) male (2)

Quantitative characteristics – (QN) Expression can be recorded on a one-dimensional scale Continuous variation from one extreme to the other The range of expression can be divided into number of states of expression Example: Length of stem: short (3) – medium (5) – long (7)

Pseudo Qualitative characteristics – (PQ) Range of expression to be at least partly continuous but in more than one dimension Cannot be adequately described by defining two ends of a linear range Each individual state of expression needs to be identified to adequately describe the range of the characteristics Example: Shape: ovate (1) – elliptic (2) – circular (3) - obovate (4)

EXAMINING UNIFORMITY Determination of Off-types by Visual Assessment Determination of Off-types Using Measurements Statistical Basis for Setting Number of Off-types Unrelated and Very Atypical Plants

EXAMINING UNIFORMITY The uniformity requirement for a variety will be different for: Vegetativaly propagated variety Truly self pollinated variety Mainly self-pollinated variety Inbred line of hybrid variety Cross pollinated variety Hybrid varieties

EXAMINING STABILITY In General: Special Test of Stability are not performed Where appropriate, stability may be tested by growing a further generation from new stock to ensure that it exhibits the same characteristics as those shown in the previous materials When a submitted sample has been shown to be uniform, the material can also be considered stable If a variety is not stable, material produced will not conform the characteristics of the variety and the breeder’s right may be cancelled

Methods of DUS test are considered in Iran DUS test Growing test On-site inspection Documentary Examination

APPLICATION DUSVCU PB RightsVar. ReleaseSeed Quality Control Seed production Application for Board for P B R Board for registra. Techn. Exp. Variety Identity Register Registration / PBR Plant Variety Office

Who can apply for a plant breeder’s right? a)individual breeder b)farmer c)breeding company d)multinational seed company e)university researcher f)government g)public research station h)international research institute i)local community Yes

Which of the following might be eligible for protection according to the UPOV Convention? a)conventional varieties b)local varieties c) c)wild plant population d)landraces e)hybrid varieties f)parental varieties for the production of hybrid varieties g)genetically modified varieties h)germplasm (genetic resources) i) i)tissue culture Yes No ? ? No

National Seed System The Islamic Republic of Iran has implemented a certification scheme for cereals for many years (since 1949) After 1957 Seed Control & Certification Dept.(SCCD) was sole organization within country for seed certification SCCD was responsible for controling of localy produced seeds, seed import & export SCCD hadn’t any responsibility about vegetative planting material cert. & variety registration

Current situation A remarkable progress has been made in the seed policy and regulatory environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. On 30th July 2003, the Government passed an Act of Plant Variety Right (PVR), Control and Certification of Seed and Planting Material (Seed Law No ). For implementation of the provisions of this act an institute so called “Seed and Plant Certification and Registration Institute (SPCRI) was established.

SPCRI Main Tasks 1. Registration of New Varieties of Plants 2. Introduction of Crop Varieties 3. Seed Certification 4. Certification of Vegetative Planting Materials 5. Research

Regulatory Pyramid of Iranian Seed System Seed and Plant Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Act of Registration of Plant Varieties and Control and Certification of Seed and Seedlings Main By Law (seed and Plant Certification) By law of Variety Introduction By law of Variety registration By law of PGR, landraces and local varieties Field Inspection Guidelines Seed Sampling Procedures DUS Guidelines VCU Testing Guidelines

PGR, landraces and local varieties State is responsible for documentation of PGR, landraces and local varieties SPCRI on behalf of MoA is responsible for the documentation More than 210 local varieties (mainly fruit trees) which are widely under uses, were documented during last 3 years UPOV morphological indicators are using for this proposes

National List of Varieties are Eligible for Certification For first time, were published early 2011 including 712 varieties as: 335 crop varieties 225 vegetable varieties 153 fruit trees varieties

Why VCU Test? Performance (VCU) testing, referred to as ‘variety trials’ focuses on the merit of the new variety to the end users, i.e. producers and consumers The test ensures that only varieties that are found better than the existing varieties in one or more agronomic character, such as grain yield or quality, or tolerance to biotic or abiotic stresses, are released for use by farmers

Which charecteristics are tested? Agronomic traits as yield Laboratory tested characteristics as sugar content,... Influencing by biotic and abiotic stresses

VCU tests are conducted according to National VCU tests Guidlines