The USDA has issued certificates of protection to developers of four new varieties of seed-reproduced potato plants.
The four certificates are being issued under the Plant Variety Protection Act. The certificates require that the varieties be new, distinct, uniform and stable. The owners will have the exclusive right to reproduce, sell, import and export their products in the United States for the duration of protection.
The four potato varieties:
- The Island Sunshine variety, developed by Loo Brothers (Gerrit, Evert), Canada;
- The Penta variety, developed by P.R. and J.P. Dijkhuis, The Netherlands;
- The NL10-RBK variety, developed by Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo.;
- The NorDonna variety, developed by NDSU Research Foundation, Fargo, N.D.;
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service administers the Plant Variety Protection Act, which provides time-limited marketing protection to developers of new and distinct seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants ranging from farm crops to flowers.
Contact the Plant Variety Protection Office at (301) 504-5518 (tel.), (301) 504-5291 (fax), or www.ams.usda.gov/science/pvp.htm.