Policies on the Release of Seeds

R. D. LEWIS AND K. S. QUISENBERRY.

NEW PLANT materials and new combinations of germ plasm are located or created by plant explorers, plant geneticists, and plant breeders, public and private. The creation, location, and release to the public of better plants is a major contribution of research to the advancement of agriculture and related industries.

The seed of a new variety or hybrid is a tangible, living organism, which we see and handle not just an abstract idea. Seeds tie together, in a common undertaking, the plant geneticist, the plant breeder, the tester or evaluator, the seedgrower, the seed processor, and distributors and merchandisers of seeds with those who sow the seed, those who cultivate and harvest the plants, and those who process, market, and consume the products.

Mere location or creation of new plant materials is neither justification nor assurance of their release for use. Decisions as to the probable comparative values and usefulness must be made by the ones who originate or possess the new materials. Thorough testing and evaluation for all factors of performance and quality are therefore basic to the decisions regarding release.

Decisions to release or not to release must also depend upon the existence of adequate breeder's and foundation stocks and on effective non-exploitive methods of increase, so as to insure genetic identity and purity. Unless there are definite provisions for effective increases and merchandising, a decision to release may merely result in disappointment or nonacceptance of the new creation.

Plant geneticists, breeders, and officials of the State agricultural experiment stations as well as the Department of Agriculture are concerned continually with decisions on release of many different kinds of germ plasm, as, for instance, basic genetic stocks, segregating populations, inbred lines, clonal lines, lines in course of selection or purification, male-sterile lines, hybrid combinations, introduced species or varieties, and new strains.

During and following the Second World War, officials of the State agricultural experiment stations and the Department of Agriculture realized the need for stating guiding principles relating to responsibilities, principles, and policies in the development, evaluation, release, and increase of seeds of new varieties, strains, and hybrids developed by these public agencies. Even within many individual stations or agencies, no consistent policy or procedure guided these activities. Confusion and uncertainty often existed.

Consequently a number of regional groups of directors of the State stations developed preliminary statements of responsibilities and policies relating to steps in development, evaluation, and release of seeds. A joint committee representing the directors of the stations and the Agricultural Research Service consolidated and expanded these previous statements. The Agricultural Research Service and the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy in 1954 approved and distributed "A Statement of Responsibilities and Policies Relating to Seeds."

This has become a guide for the further development of policies and procedures in individual States. It recognizes the obligation of both the State stations and the Department to cooperate in developing procedures for making the results of joint genetic and plant breeding efforts available to the public. It neither obligates nor affects the right of an individual State station to make adaptations in line with the specific situations and needs of that State.

The joint statement of 1954 is designed largely to outline general policies and procedures and point up general functions and opportunities for improving both public and private activities and services in the development and use of improved seeds. While adaptations to specific crops are required, it has not yet been found necessary to deviate from the major principles.

As release of seeds is closely identified with other steps in the creation and use of a new variety, we find it inadvisable to confine the following quotations and comments to release alone. The reader should recognize that the following principles and procedures, as quoted from the 1954 statement, are primarily to guide officials and plant breeders of public agencies and to create an understanding of the procedures among users of seeds.

Demonstrated performance is the basis for decisions on the release of new varieties. The general standard of performance is:

"No new variety should be released unless it is distinctly superior to existing commercial varieties in some one or more characteristics important for the crop, and is at least satisfactory in other major requirements. A major menace, which a new variety can overcome, e.g., a highly destructive disease, may justify some leniency in evaluating criteria. In general, however, a new variety should not be released unless it represents a real advance. Varieties with a very limited range in adaptation should not be distributed, unless performance in that limited range is outstandingly superior, or the variety possesses important use values which are needed and not otherwise available."

The background evaluation or test data must be adequate. "New varieties and hybrids should be tested for yield, survival, disease reaction and other important characteristics in comparison with standard commercial varieties, using experimental technics that assure valid measure of differences and their significance. Thus personal and other bias will be eliminated in conducting these tests.

"Crop varieties are not limited in adaptation by State or other political boundaries. Interstate testing and interchange of materials should be encouraged. Regional testing insures more general use of widely adapted varieties. It also reduces time needed to provide reliable information on varietal adaptations.

"New varieties of crops to be used primarily for industrial purposes should be tested for these uses to insure that they are satisfactory. The trade or industry using the crop also should have opportunity to evaluate the new variety before distribution."

Provisions for a systematic, objective review are essential prior to a decision on release.

"Decisions on the release of new varieties should be made for each State by the appropriate agricultural agency of that State. It is recommended that in each State there be a policy committee or board of review charged with the responsibility of reviewing the proposals for the release in that State of each new variety or hybrid. All available information concerning characteristics, performance, use values, seed stocks, and proposed methods of increase and distribution should be presented to this committee as a basis for its decision.

"The committee should have associated with it individuals qualified in the specialties under which the values of the new variety of a specific crop must be determined. Many States now follow this or a similar procedure.

"When a variety has been tested on an interstate basis, opportunity should be given for each State in the interstate program to consider whether the variety should be released in that State. Whenever possible all interested States should release the variety simultaneously. If for some reason prior interstate testing was neglected or impossible, the State which may shortly release a new variety should offer to all interested States in the region seed of the new variety for testing. Thus the nearby States may obtain information to answer questions from their farmers, should the new variety cross State lines."

Correct naming is essential:

"A new variety should be given a permanent designation before it is released. When this designation is a name, this name should consist preferably of one word, the shorter the better. Under no circumstances should a variety be distributed under more than one name. Likewise, distinctly different genetic strains should not be distributed under the same name.

"The name should be agreed upon by the interested States, but the originating agency has the final responsibility. Once it has been established, a varietal name should not be changed.

"The American Society of Agronomy and the Society of Horticultural Science have adopted guides for the naming of varieties. which are consistent and insure names that will not be confusing."

Decisions regarding release often are modified by the basic supplies of breeder's seed and the assurance of continued availability of such seed for increases of foundation and commercial supplies. "When it becomes evident that a new variety is sufficiently promising to merit consideration for release, breeder's seed should be increased to the volume needed to produce and maintain required pure seed stocks (foundation seed). So long as a variety is retained on the recommended list of the originating station, that station should maintain a reasonable reserve of breeder's seed, which can at any time be used to replenish and restore foundation and commercial seed of the variety to desired genetic purity."

That procedure on maintenance is not followed fully. Sometimes full responsibility is turned over to seed producers following the initial release of breeder's and foundation stock seeds to qualified seedsmen.

The possible provisions for increase and maintenance of foundation seed stocks may affect decisions on release. "In foundation seed production programs, special care must be taken to insure that the relatively small amounts of breeder's seed are not wasted by indiscriminate distribution. Only those who have the know-how, the facilities, and who will sow the breeder's seed for production of foundation seed, to be sold at reasonable rates, should be included as foundation seed growers. Foundation seed [of publicly developed varieties] should be kept under institutional guidance.

"A foundation seed program should be of such scale as to assure annual production of sufficient high quality commercial, registered and certified seed for planting the acreage which the variety should occupy. Provision should be made for a reserve of foundation seed to guard against crop failure.

"Any foundation seed program should recognize certain basic principles: (1) Every qualified seed grower should have an opportunity to obtain such seed or its immediate progeny at a reasonable cost; (2) there should be no monopoly in access to foundation seed; (3) the seed should meet high standards of purity and germination; and (4) the end result of commercial certified seed production based on the foundation seed program should be good seed and enough seed at a reasonable price to plant the acreage justified by the interests of American agriculture."

The preceding guides concerning release of new varieties may seem to apply almost exclusively to new varieties and hybrids created in the plant breeding programs of the State stations and the Department. Actually, they also apply to new species and varieties which may arise directly from foreign and domestic plant explorations commonly termed "introductions."