Wheat has new minimum descriptors

New minimum descriptors for the purposes of protecting wheat cultivars were published, replacing those established in 1997. The change occurred through Act No. 1, of January 22, 2020, of the Coordination of the National Cultivar Protection Service.

This is a measure provided for in art. 4, § 2, of Law 9.456/97, and in art. 3rd, III, of Decree 2.366/97.

The full act can be read below.

ACT No. 1, OF JANUARY 22, 2020

ANNEX I

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PERFORMING DISTINGUISHABILITY, HOMOGENEITY AND STABILITY TESTS OF WHEAT CULTIVARS (Triticum aestivumL.).

I. OBJECTIVE

These instructions aim to establish guidelines for distinguishability, homogeneity and stability (DHE) assessments, in order to standardize the technical procedure for proving that the cultivar presented is distinct from others whose descriptors are known, is homogeneous in terms of its characteristics within the same generation and is stable in terms of the repetition of the same characteristics over successive generations. They apply to wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivumL.).

II. LIVE SAMPLE

1. To comply with the provisions of art. 22 and its sole paragraph of Law No. 9.456, of April 25, 1997, the applicant for the protection request will be obliged to maintain and present to the SNPC, live samples of the cultivar subject to protection, as specified below:

- 2 kg of seeds as a handling sample (submit to SNPC)

- 1 kg of seeds as germplasm (submit to SNPC)

- 2 kg kept by the breeder.

2. The material must be vigorous and in good sanitary conditions, and must meet the criteria established in the Seed Analysis Rules - R.A.S.

3. The propagation material cannot have been subjected to any type of treatment that influences the expression of the cultivar's characteristics, unless authorized or recommended by the SNPC. If treatment has been carried out, it must be reported to the SNPC.

4. The sample must be available to the SNPC after obtaining the Protection Certificate. However, whenever, during the analysis of the request, it is necessary to present a live sample to confirm information, the applicant must make it available.

5. Live samples of foreign cultivars must be kept in Brazil.

III. PERFORMANCE OF DISTINGUISHABILITY, HOMOGENEITY AND STABILITY TESTS - DHE

1. The trials will be conducted for at least two similar periods of cultivation in the cultivar's adaptation region. If distinguishability and/or homogeneity cannot be clearly proven during this period, the tests must be carried out for another cultivation cycle.

2. The tests will be conducted in the same experimental area and at the same sowing times. If it is not possible to view the characteristics of the cultivar in this location, it can be evaluated in another additional location.

3. Tests must be carried out under conditions that ensure the normal development of plants and the expression of relevant characteristics.

4. The recommended methods for observing characteristics are indicated in the first column of the Descriptors Table

5. Each trial will include at least 2.000 plants, divided into two or more replications, at normal sowing density recommended for the cultivar's adaptation region and will be conducted under conditions that ensure normal plant development. The size of the plots must be such that plants, or parts of plants, can be removed for measurements and counting, without prejudice to the observations that must be made at the end of the development period. At least two repetitions must be used, with at least 4 rows each, to avoid border effects in the evaluation of characteristics. Separate plots for observations and measurements can only be used if they have been subjected to similar environmental conditions.

6. All observations to determine distinguishability and stability must be made on at least 20 plants or parts of 20 plants.

7. Evaluations to describe the cultivar must be carried out on plants with typical expressions, disregarding those with atypical expressions.

8. When determining the homogeneity of the observed characteristics, the plots must have a normal sowing density, and must be applied to a standard population of 0,1% with a probability of acceptance of at least 95%. In the case of plots with 2000 plants, the maximum number of atypical plants allowed will be 5 (five). The atypical plant methodology should only be applied to qualitative and pseudo-qualitative characteristics. In the case of quantitative characteristics, appropriate statistical methods should be applied or example cultivars used for comparison purposes.

9. Additional tests for special purposes may be established.

IV. GROUPING FEATURES

1. To choose similar cultivars to be planted in the DHE test, use the grouping characteristics.

2. Grouping traits are those in which the observed expression levels, even when obtained in different locations, can be used to organize the DHE assay, individually or in conjunction with other traits, so that similar cultivars are planted together.

3. The following characteristics are considered useful as grouping characteristics:

Flag leaf: anthocyanin pigmentation of the auricles (characteristic 5)

Emergence to maturation cycle (characteristic 7)

Plant: length (stem and ear, excluding awns and barbs) (characteristic 13)

Thatch: wall thickness (characteristic 15)

Ear: edges and barbs (characteristic 18)

Cob: coloring (trait 28)

V. CONVENTIONAL SIGNS

(+): See explanations regarding specific characteristics, item VIII "OBSERVATIONS AND FIGURES";

[zz-yy]: Numbers in brackets refer to the phenological phase indicated for the evaluation of the characteristic according to the "Decimal Code for the Growth Stages of Cereals" scale, reproduced from EUCARPIA Bulletin No. 7, 1974.; It is

- QL: Qualitative characteristic;

- QN: Quantitative characteristic;

- PQ: Pseudo-qualitative characteristic;

- MG: Group measurement: simple measurements of a group of plants or parts of plants;

- MI: Individual measurement: measurements carried out on several plants, or parts of plants, individually; It is

- VG: Group visualization: evaluation through a single observation of groups of plants or parts of plants.

SAW. NEWNESS AND DURATION OF PROTECTION

1. In order to satisfy the novelty requirement established in section V, art. 30, of Law No. 0, of 9.456, in order to be protected, the cultivar cannot have been offered for sale in Brazil for more than 1997 months in relation to the date of the protection request and, observing the commercialization period in Brazil, it cannot may have been offered for sale or marketed in other countries, with the breeder's consent, for more than 12 years.

2. As established by article 11 of Law No. 9.456, of 1997, the protection of the cultivar will be in force for a period of 15 (fifteen) years, from the date of granting of the Provisional Protection Certificate.

VII. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE TABLE OF DESCRIPTORS

1. View the form on the internet.

2. To request cultivar protection, the interested party must present, in addition to this, the other forms made available by the SNPC at http://www.agricultura.gov.br/assuntos/insumos- agropecuarios/insumos-agricolas/protecao-de- cultivar/forms-for-cultivar-protection.

VIII. TABLE OF WHEAT DESCRIPTORS (Triticum aestivumL.)

The table can be seen in the attached file (link below).