b'BRUSSELS SPROUTSBY: CSAR GONZLEZONCE UPON A TIMET he Commission is in the final stagesto identify and therefore to control andtial number of new varieties every year of drafting the EUs new seed mar- trace; 3) yields are lower compared to(approx. 3,500 to 4,000 in agricultural keting legislation that will determineregular plant varieties; 4) heterogeneousand vegetable species alone). Given the the future of the plant breeding and seedmaterials do not cope better with chal- diversity of breeders and the number of industry. We all know that the Europeanlenging environmental conditions; and 5)new varieties, it is obvious that farmers legislative process is a lengthy one withsusceptibility against pests and diseaseslargely prefer new varieties in compari-several actors involved over the years,was higher for some heterogeneous mate- son to the old ones.which may make the outcome highlyrials than for the control varieties. But why are farmers driving and unpredictable, even more so if we mixThese findings clearly do not livewilling to pay the cost of such innova-in the process the European Parliamentup to the expectations expressed bytion? The reason is mainly due to the elections. Therefore, starting off on thesome groups in the current debate. Moreincreased yield performance of new right foot is crucial. importantly, one could generally questionvarieties. The same CPVO study shows From my point of view, the mainthe interest of promoting such materialthat breeders focus on high yield poten-drivers of this exercise should be cropin the light of the Farm to Fork strategy.tial and optimised yield stability (both productivity and improved sustaina- If yields are lower, more land would beimportant objectives in breeders pro-bility, which require high-quality seed.needed to produce the same. If Europegrammes, especially in agricultural And I would like to dispel two myths thatreduces its agricultural land, where willcrops) thanks to better resistance increasingly have become enshrined inthis new land come from? Moreover, ifagainst biotic and abiotic stresses. As an the political discussions around plantsusceptibility to pests and diseases isexample, the study mentions two other reproductive material. The first onehigher, what does it mean in terms ofrecent articles on winter wheat over the refers to the alleged benefits of heter- reducing pesticide use? past decades that show how higher yields ogeneous material compared to classi- The second myth I want to address isare highly correlated with other charac-cal plant varieties while the second onethe one that old varieties perform betterteristics such as resistance to powdery refers to the specific value and perfor- (be it in terms of plant health or in termsmildew and stripe rust and greater nitro-mance of old varieties. of ability to cope with climate challenges)gen use efficiency. From all available data As for the first one, at least threethan the modern plant varieties of today. analysis, it is clear that new varieties Member States have already registeredBefore entering into substance, Igenerally perform better, both in terms several organic heterogeneous materials,want to emphasize that there are validof yield and resistances, than their older following the adoption of specific legis- reasons to maintain traditional andcounterparts. So, here again, the myth lation1 and it seems like the new ruleslocally adapted varieties, probablyis clearly dispelled by the available data for the marketing of plant reproductivethe main one being that plant geneticand scientific evidence.material will open even more the doorresources are an essential basis for seedTo wrap-up, let me come back to the to such material. But what are the ben- innovation. However, this does not val- beginning of this article. If the objec-efits of such material? Should this be theidate the assumption of the above par- tive of the new legislation is to support a direction of travel? agraph. truly productive and more sustainable EU In 2022, the Commission publishedA recent study published by theagriculture, data, facts and science must the long-awaited report of the seven-yearCommunity Plant Variety Office (CPVO)3be the foundation of decision-making. temporary experiment on populations ofshows that more than 1,000 breedingLets not get carried away by myths and wheat, barley, oats and maize2. Some ofcompanies are active in Europe (moremisperceptions.the findings are 1) the price of this seedthan 90 per cent of which are small and is, if not higher, the same as conventionalmedium-sized enterprises). These com- Csar Gonzlez is Manager Public seed varieties; 2) this material is difficultpanies develop and register a substan- Affairs at Euroseeds1Delegated Regulation 2021/1189 on Organic Heterogeneous Material2Temporary experiment providing for certain derogations for the marketing of populations of the plant species wheat, barley, oats and maize3Impact of the Community Plant Variety Rights system on the EU economy and environment, CPVO 202218IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'