CEREAL AND WINTER OILSEED RAPE TESTING WITHIN THE UK Jennifer Wyatt Head of Agricultural Crops Characterisation Management responsibility for the team carrying out DUS testing of cereals,WOSR field beans and sugar beet . Delivery of certification for Certification England & Wales. Under contract toDdefra.

CEREAL AND WOSR TESTING IN THE UK Introduction: NIAB’s role Plant variety Registration Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) National Listing (NL) DUS Testing Cereals Winter Oilseed Rape (WOSR) Quality Assurance (Certification) NIAB was founded in 1919 after WWI as a charitable trust ‘ to promote the improvement of British crops by seed with a higher analytical and genetic quality’. Shortage of food after the war.

CEREAL AND WOSR TESTING IN THE UK DEFRA: (PVS) Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs PVS: Plant Varieties Rights Office and Seeds Division NLSC: National List Seeds Committee. Includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Involved in decision making NIAB: Independent body under contract to Defra NIAB has remained independent. On the UK entering the EU in 1974 NIAB contracted to carry out the Statutory work required by the legislation outlined in the 1964 Plant Varieties and Seeds Act. New Regulations for NL also came into being during 1973

NIAB NIAB has a long and distinguished history of innovation in Agriculture. Experience of the past generates wisdom about the future.

AGRICULTURAL CROPS CHARACTERISATION MAIN ACTIVITIES Variety evaluation (DUS) Advice to Defra and seeds industry Training Seed quality (Certification)

PLANT VARIETY REGISTRATION AGRICULTURAL CROPS Essential for a successful seeds industry Establishes variety ownership Consumer protection EU Directives Varieties whether cereals or OSR are bred for specific purposes .Without some form of official control, ( EU Directives), the variety system would soon break down. By establishing variety ownership provide breeders with a means, through plant royalties of recouping the large financial outlay necessary to support breeding programmes. Gives consumer protection to the end user. Official Description set’s a variety’s ‘foot print’

PLANT VARIETY REGISTRATION AGRICULTURAL CROPS Variety registration part of National Listing (NL) National Listing (NL) Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulation (2001/3510) Distinctness, Uniformity & Stability (DUS) Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) Statutory system required by EU Directives Eligible Plant Breeders Rights (PBR)

PLANT VARIETY REGISTRATION AGRICULTURAL CROPS A new variety must be: Distinct Uniform Stable (DUS) : Offer clear improvement (VCU) To qualify: National Listing (NL) Eligible Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) DUS serves dual function: NL and PBR

PLANT VARIETY REGISTRATION PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS Encourages development of new varieties Grants breeders exclusive rights to authorise and control (licence) multiplication and sale of reproductive material. Essential to breeder that successful variety has PBR PBR licence includes paying of royalties (BSPB) Scheme for PBR administered by Defra, PVS (in line with UPOV system)

PLANT VARIETY REGISTRATION UK NL OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS Variety entered for DUS testing Final summary report by NIAB to Defra, Recommendation only by NIAB: pass/fail Final decision NLSC: pass/ fail Pass: Variety NL Varieties whether cereals or OSR are bred for specific purposes .Without some form of official control, ( EU Directives), the variety system would soon break down. By establishing variety ownership provide breeders with a means, through plant royalties of recouping the large financial outlay necessary to support breeding programmes. Gives consumer protection to the end user. Official Description set’s a variety’s ‘foot print’

PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS UK Varieties entered for UK PBR : 1997/98 2002/03 2007/08 Winter wheat 34 24 4 Spring wheat 3 1 0 Winter barley 28 28 5 Spring barley 27 21 15 Winter oats 3 2 0 Spring oats 3 2 0 Winter oilseed rape 33 31 7 Reduction in numbers: Application directly to CPVO (buy in UK test report) Rights transferred directly to CPVO

CEREAL DUS TESTING Year 1 & Year 2 cereal candidates undergoing Winter Spring Total Barley 35 45 80 Wheat 93 9 112 Oats 4 5

WOSR DUS TESTING Numbers of varieties in trial 2007/08 Year 1 62 Year 2 and subsequent years 48 Reference samples 493 from variety collection Used to check those characters which can be affected by environment eg ear emergence, height ,density,glaucosity

PROTOCOLS USED IN UK DECISION MAKING PROTOCOLS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE UPOV Guidelines National list and Seeds Committee CPVO Technical protocols UK Crop Protocols DUS Technical Team CPVO and UPOV Guiidelines take precedent over any other systems available. UK crop protocols are used when no CPVO/UPOV guidelines exist. The UK NLSC will discuss and take decisions on issues where major problems are encountered. (Examination Offices) Cereals: CPVO TP/3/3,TP/19/2, TP/20/1 Rape : CPVO TP/36/1

THE UK DUS TESTING SYSTEM Characteristics recorded according to species and Technical Protocol (CPVO TP) After two years data are analysed statistically (either by T test, weightings or COYD) Candidate variety is recommended as distinct or non-distinct Uniformity must meet standards Official description produced approval

DUS CEREAL TESTING 2- year recording plots in field Most characters recorded 1-9 score Production of variety descriptions (= legal “definition” of variety, used in certification) Comparison with other varieties in variety collection Authentication of DUS submission against VCU submission

DUS CEREAL TESTING VARIETY COLLECTION Central database holds descriptions for variety collection Includes: All varieties on UK National List All varieties marketed in the UK All varieties marketed in neighbouring countries Countries with a similar climate/geography agricultural system

DUS CEREAL TESTING Reference samples from variety collection: Barley 18 Wheat 22 Oats 12 Used as a control for those characteristics which may be variable e.g ear emergence Used to check those characters which can be affected by environment eg ear emergence, height ,density,glaucosity

DUS CEREAL TESTING Year 1 100 ear rows in plots 1.6m long x 1.6m wide. three rows 2 x 3 rows x 9m long Year 1 each plot x75g.Three rows in the middle are the ear rows. Outside rows are from the bulk 3KG submission Winter plots drilled beginning October, spring plots drilled early March Year 2 150g in plot 9m x 1.6m 6 rows .Used also as definitive plot for any Certification seed lot

DUS CEREAL TESTING Dried material 20 ears taken from ear row plants each candidate and assessed for ‘B’ characters. If a problem is found a further 80 ears from different plants will be assessed Recording done at specific timing laid out in DUS TP for appropriate spp. using a 1-9 score Known as ‘B’ characters Initially 20 primary ears selected from 20 different plants, to a maximum of 100 if problems are incurred. Density 1 3 5 7 9

DUS CEREAL TESTING NIAB STAFFING Defra : FULL COST RECOVERY FROM BREEDERS Total ear rows 2007/08 = 13,500 Total plots 2007/08 = 444 Manager : overall responsibility for delivery of reports to Defra, major variety issues Specialists : One full time, two full time: Drill planning of ear rows and plots Recording for ‘U’ Assessment of ‘D’ Advice to breeders Preparation of summary results for Defra . Winter barley report for NLSC completed by middle August Remaining reports mid September

DUS CEREAL TESTING STANDARDS Year 1 Ear rows : Population approx.2000 plants Population standard =1% Acceptance probability =95% Equivalent to a maximum: 3/100 variant ear rows Not more than 5 variant plants Plots: 5/2000 single variant plants Winter barley report for NLSC completed by middle August Remaining reports mid September

DUS CEREAL TESTING Mean score given for Yr 1 and Yr 2 Class width to separate varieties Database variety profiles used establish ‘D’ Description produced Permanent record in variety database Awarding of National Listing (PBR) Use Pioneer system

ANALYSIS OF DUS CEREAL RECORDING Non ‘D’ varieties: Comparison of archive dried material with non D candidate If minor differences noted then further test by electrophoresis - SDS Page Added to the variety database Awarding of National Listing (PBR) Pioneer Ovos programme If after examining archive material, significant differences are noted that are acceptable to CPVO TP then database overridden

It is this description lodged with Defra PVS that provides the basis for PBR and for use by the Certification crop inspector and control plot staff , for establishing varietal authentication and varietal purity in the field.

DUS WINTER OILSEED RAPE (WOSR) TESTING

DUS WOSR TESTING Growing replicated plots or side-by-side comparisons in the field Observation, measuring and recording of a series of characteristics Use of Image Analysis Comparison with other varieties in variety collection Production of variety descriptions

DUS WOSR TESTING Drilling: Total number of plots 2007/08= 2100 Three replicates Two randomised Third replicate: AFP number order VCU authentications Seed stock authentications Side by side comparisons

Plots 6m long, four rows per plot DUS WOSR TESTING Plots 6m long, four rows per plot Approx. 220 plants per plot

DUS WOSR TESTING DRILLING Hybrids Conventional varieties Male & female parental lines Yr 1 & Yr 2 submissions Maintainer line Any Yr 3 submissions Reference varieties Reference varieties F1 hybrids compared Hybrids are treated as a separate group of varieties from open pollinated varieties.To facilitate recording the varieties are separated into hybrids, open pollinated lines and parental lines

DUS WOSR TESTING SCORING OF CHARACTERS Plots drilled beginning September Leaf characters (plot score)- November Flower characters (plot score & IA) Start March Mature plant characters (plot score, measurement, IA) June/July Hybrids are treated as a separate group of varieties from open pollinated varieties.To facilitate recording the varieties are separated into hybrids, open pollinated lines and parental lines

IMAGE ANALYSIS IN DUS TESTING Diagrammatic representation of an OSR cotyledon illustrating the parameters measured by IA. LOBE SEPARATION WIDTH SADDLE LENGTH LAMINA BASE TO WIDE POINT POSITION OF MA XIMUM WIDTH OF LAMINA LENGTH LAMINA LENGTH Four IA characters approved by CPVO. We have 12 other characteristics under development

WOSR DUS TESTING Two years testing data analysed statistically (COYD @ 2%) Candidate variety is recommended as distinct or non-distinct Uniformity must meet certain standards according to species Characteristics recorded according to Technical Protocol (CPVO-TP/036/1) Official description produced after NLSC approval Four IA characters approved by CPVO. We have 12 other characteristics under development

DUS WOSR TESTING UNIFORMITY STANDARDS 2% off-types allowed for open pollinated lines (95% probability) 10% off-types allowed for hybrids (95% probability)

DUS WOSR TESTING SUMMARY DUS Essential part of plant variety protection and National Listing Certification: Implementation of EU Directives provides robust quality assurance system Research and innovation to drive down costs to breeder/seeds industry Need to push forward new technology in a traditional environment ( genotypic characters- e.g.molecular markers) Certification Ensures quality of seed being marketed through Crop inspection, Seed testing, Monitoring

DUS: Molecular Markers Molecular Markers in DUS testing : Use of molecular markers to predict winter/spring characteristic in barley using Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION Genetic markers variety identification/verification quality control /traceability food authenticity labelling consumer protection Genetic Diversity Cost-effective testing systems –pass on to breeders/ seeds industry

Certification generation system multiplication & marketing SUMMARY OF TESTING DUS Yr 1 Yr 2 Breeders seed DUS pass NL/PBR Certification generation system multiplication & marketing CERTIFYING AUTHORITY : M.A.F.F. FARM SAVED SEED