Midge Tolerant Wheat Retailer Training Module 2 Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship

Presentation Overview Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship –Why is stewardship necessary? –Limiting the use of farm-saved seed –Why is the Agreement necessary? –How does the Agreement work? –Agreement Details: Representations and Acknowledgements Conditions of Use Remedies

Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Proper stewardship is necessary to preserve midge tolerance so farmers can continue to benefit from this technology for 90 years or longer. Farmers buying midge tolerant wheat are required to sign a Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Agreement that limits the use of farm-saved seed to one generation past certified seed.

Limiting the Use of Farm- Saved Seed This limitation is critical to ensure the refuge remains at the desired level of 10% of the plant population, as the refuge in farm-saved seed may change substantially over multiple generations. For example, under an extremely heavy midge infestation, the susceptible refuge variety could sustain up to 50% yield loss.

Why is the Stewardship Agreement necessary? It ensures that all farmers will maintain the interspersed refuge system. This is necessary to preserve midge tolerance because: –Tolerance is based on a single gene, which has a history of becoming ineffective over time. –It took researchers more than 15 years to move this single gene into spring wheat varieties. –No other known source of midge tolerance has been identified.

How does the Agreement work? The Stewardship Agreement is 2 page document that does not include seed volume or varietal commitments. Farmers must sign only one Stewardship Agreement if they purchase any of the varieties from their vendor (retailer). If a farmer also purchases seed from a different vendor (retailer) they must sign another Stewardship Agreement with that vendor.

How does the Agreement Work? After signing, vendors must submit the Agreements to the third-party Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Resource Centre who will then populate the online database. More details on these procedures will be available from the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Resource Centre.

Stewardship Agreement Details Page 1 –States reason why the agreement is necessary –Contains all purchaser and vendor contact information and signatures Page 2 –Contains all Terms and Conditions including: A.Representations and Acknowledgements B.Conditions of Use C.Remedies

Representations and Acknowledgements - Summary 1.Seed contains a susceptible refuge variety 2.Sm1 is the only known gene for midge tolerance and stewardship is critical to protect it 3.Limiting the use of farm-saved seed to one generation past certified seed is necessary because level of refuge in farm-saved seed may change substantially over multiple generations.

Representations and Acknowledgements - Summary 4.Distributors can enforce Plant Breeder’s Rights 5.Agreement is in effect as long as purchaser is growing or in possession of these varieties, and any future acquisitions 6.Types and quantities of varieties purchased will be provided to Distributors for monitoring compliance

Conditions of Use - Summary Purchaser: 1.Agrees not to use farm-saved seed for more than one generation past certified seed 2.Understand and complies with Plant Breeders’ Rights 3.May be audited for compliance including inspection and sampling

Remedies – Summary Purchaser: 1.Will pay the Distributor $100 for each acre sown with farm-saved seed beyond one generation past certified seed 2.Is responsible for any audit costs that prove non- compliance 3.Is liable for any damages to Distributor if Purchaser transfers farm-saved seed for planting purposes 4.Is liable for legal expenses for non-compliance 5.Consents to use of personal info for monitoring & enforcing compliance with this Agreement

Remember: The Stewardship Agreement ensures that all farmers will maintain the interspersed refuge system. This is necessary to preserve midge tolerance. We do this so that wheat producers will have midge tolerant wheat as a useful cropping tool as long as possible.

Please proceed to Quiz 2 Thank you