The development of plant breedingand plant variety protection
Bernard Le Buanec
Symposium on plant breeding for the future
Geneva, October 21, 2011
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 1
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 2
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 3
Decrease of crop diversity during domestication
• 250 000 higher plant species• 30 000 edible crops• 7 000 species used for food on regular basis• 300 species domesticated.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 4
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 5
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 6
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 7
Preamble of the 1961 Act of the Convention
• The contracting parties “are convinced of the importance attaching to the protection of varieties of plants not only for the development of agriculture in their territories but also for the safeguarding of the interest of the breeders”.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011
8
Pedigree of Sonalika wheat
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 9
source CIMMYT
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 10
Some achievements of Plant Breeding
. Yield improvement
. Adaptation to new environments
‐maize in northern Europe
‐rapeseed in Australia
‐soybean in equatorial area
. Development of new species: Triticale
. Quality improvement: rapeseed
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 11
Digging stick, hoe
Burning and slash-and-burn, long-standing fallow, cultivation on light soil. Manual weeding
Improvements to plow, iron plowshare, wheels, coulter and moldboard, first use of marling
Burning and slash-and-burn, long-standing fallow, first use of rotation , heavier soils
Swing plow, shoulder yoke for oxen
First use of manure
Land clearing,biennial rotation and fallow
Horse collar, sophisticated plow, harrow, roller, increase in number of furrows, mechanical hoeing,Widespread use of marling, seeds
First use of open-field agricultural system,Hedge-laying. Rotation of cereal crops/legumes. Triennial crop rotation. Beginning of the forest problem
Consolidation of agricultural systems.Re-growth of forest
-5000 -2500 -2500 -750-750 200 200 800800 1300 1300 15001500 1850
New wave of forest clearance. Reduction in fallow area. Reduced overall fertility.
First results of research on mineral nutrition but little innovation in practice
Active agricultural pop. (%) French pop. (0,1 M) Forest area (%) Production (10 kg/ha)
2,77
t eq CO2/t12
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 13
Comparison of yield performance of rice improved lines and landraces
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 14
Evolution of Maize acreage in the Netherlands
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 15
Evolution of Rape Seed Acreage in Australia
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 16
Evolution of soybean acreage in Brazil
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 17
Evolution of Triticale acreage at world level
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 18
Development of plant breeding and plant variety protection
• The Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of crops.• The selection of improved cultivars by farmers after
domestication.
• The emergence of plant breeding and professional breeders.• The protection of plant breeders 'right and the 1961 UPOV
Convention.
• Some achievements of plant breeding• Evolution of plant breeding after 1961 and the need for a
revision of the Convention.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 19
Objectives of the revision of the Convention
• To strengthen the right of the breeder;• To extend the practical scope of application of the plant variety protection system;
• To clarify, on the basis of experience , a number of provisions, […], and to adapt them to the recent and prospective developments.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011
20
Main changes in the 1991 Act
• More detailed description of a variety.• Extension of the protection to all genera and species.
• Extension of the scope of protection.• Clarification on the use of farm saved seed.• Introduction of the concept of essential derivation and dependency from an initial variety.
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011
21
Evolution of the number of species with protected varieties
1981: 80 species
1988: 350 species
2011: 3045 species
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 22
Conclusion
B. Le Buanec, UPOV Symposium Breeding for the Future, 21/10/2011 23
Thank you for your Attention
24
Top Related