1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

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

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

6. 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’

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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)

10. 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’

11. PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS UK
Varieties entered for UK PBR :
1997/ / /08
Winter wheat
Spring wheat
Winter barley
Spring barley
Winter oats
Spring oats
Winter oilseed rape
Reduction in numbers:
Application directly to CPVO (buy in UK test report)
Rights transferred directly to CPVO

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

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. DUS CEREAL TESTING NIAB STAFFING
Defra : FULL COST RECOVERY FROM BREEDERS
Total ear rows 2007/08 = 13,500
Total plots /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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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.

27. DUS WINTER OILSEED RAPE (WOSR) TESTING

28. 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

29. 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

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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. WOSR DUS TESTING
Two years testing data analysed statistically 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

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

36. 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

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

38. 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

39. 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