b"PROTECTING INNOVATIONA Global Perspective of Seed InnovationsVERY FEW UNDERSTANDthe complexities offix to six countries in order to navigate a true to type a true global integrated seed company today. Withdevelopment/supply chain.advancements in breeding techniques, IP systems,With a global seed market estimated to be $48-63 and DUS testing, when it comes to seed production,billion/annum with an estimated CAGR of 8.1%, a seri-many would underestimate the path some of the newous commitment to seed innovation is needed to feed cultivars in development today take to address todaysthis hungry planet of approximately 8.02 billion citizens.hungry planet.First lets look at the clay used to bring new seed ELOY CORONA is theinnovations to farms around the world. This includesWhen you go to your local grocery store or executive director ofgermplasm, GM traits, non-GM traits (yield/stress the Seed Innovationefficiency, disease tolerance, quality, etc.), breedingto another country's farmers market and are and Protection Allianceprocesses, production processes, phytosanitary regula- amazed at the different vegetable offerings, (SIPA). tions and seed treatments. Next, think about molding all these into commercial cultivars to meet growersrealize that this is a global effort by many unmet needs around the world you have a complicated development and supply chain orchestrated by manycommitted professional individuals working for dedicated seed specialists. integrated seed companies.Next, lets look at some of the rules of the road to manage seed innovations. In 1961, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) was established as the model guidelines forSeed companies are committing around 15% nation states to implement in their own jurisdiction.of annual turnover in order to deal with growers Today there are approximately 67 states and twounmet needs and global climatic changes and limited organizations (EU27 & AIRO17) that are bound byresources. New breeding techniques are a bright spot UPOV 78 or UPOV91. The implementations provide awith the potential to speed up the numbers game of baseline for intellectual property protection (IP) andidentifying seed innovations related to climatic stress, also harmonization of Distinctness, Uniformity andnutrient use, yield gains, disease tolerance, quality/Stability (DUS) in each signatory nation. For example,nutritional improvements, pest tolerances and opera-in the U.S. these are known as Plant Variety Certificatestional efficiency needs. (PVP) whereas in many other countries they are knownThis commitment to seed innovations has provided as Plant Breeders Rights (PBR).the vast number of cultivars such as tomatoes (more DUS testing ensures the cultivar is true to type andthan 10,000 cultivars) to watermelons (more than provides the breeder the necessary info to claim PBR.1,200 cultivars) and maize (more than 10,000 culti-Now imagine a globally integrated seed companyvars) which depend on genetic diversity. This genetic developing cultivars for growers in many areas havingdiversity is a global pool of improvements grown and to navigate the germplasm development, along with aidentified from all parts of the world.global IP strategy and DUS testing for narrowing downWhen you go to your local grocery store or to commercially acceptable cultivars and you get theanother countrys farmers market and are amazed at sense of the complexity of a global breeding program.the different vegetable offerings, realize that this is a Included among this is the realization that for someglobal effort by many committed professional individu-cropssuch as vegetables or forage grassestheals working for integrated seed companies.development cycle may take a cultivar across up toInternational is a global perspectiveSW24/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2023"