Global Access to Maize Germplasm Provided by the US National Plant Germplasm System and by US Plant Breeders

Abstract

Access to high‐yielding germplasm increases agricultural productivity. Plant Variety Protection (PVP) is the most globally used form of Intellectual Property Protection. Commercially available varieties protected solely by PVP can be accessed for further breeding within the country or region of protection. Unlike the practice in most other countries, the USDA has a policy of providing parental inbred lines of hybrids into the public domain following expiration of their protection by PVP. Parental lines and varieties protected by utility patents are also available in the public domain following expiration of protection. These distributions represent fresh opportunities for researchers, hybrid seed producers and plant breeders, nationally and internationally. As a contribution to the continuing debate over ownership and access to plant germplasm we report distributions of maize (Zea mays L.) by the US National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). During 1988–2015 the NPGS distributed 251,926 packets to 7,582 requestors, fulfilling 10,432 orders. Distributions were primarily to US entities (87%), with 32,520 (13%) to a total of 79 foreign countries. Of the total NPGS maize distributions reported here, 45,968 (18%) were expired or off‐PVP germplasm. We hope that access provided to this germplasm will act as a reminder that the primary benefit of the Multilateral System under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) is indeed that of having facilitated global access to germplasm and that this concept will remain an important guiding principle during further implementation of the Treaty.

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