Databases of PPV&FR Authority:-When to compile??

According to rule 22(4) of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Rules, 2003, it is the one of the general function of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority setup under the PPV&FR Act, 2001, to compile and maintain a database on all varieties of common knowledge including all registered extant and farmers' varieties and such varieties being cultivated outside India for each crop species prior to grant for registration for new varieties belonging to such species.

The said Authority is still in the process of developing database and functioning out of framed rules and issuing registration certificates for new varieties before compile all registered extant and farmers' varieties. This action of authority became a matter of concern in Seed industry.

As per the Annual report (2008-09) of PPV&FR Authority (here). The Authority is using two software 1.Indian Information System as per DUS Guidelines” (IINDUS) and 2. “Notified and Released Varieties of India” (NORV) for the documentation of the extant / notified varieties were developed by out sourcing the work to National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) on a project mode. This system has been designed to keep all the essential features of the DUS descriptors like grouping, essential qualitative and quantitative traits. IINDUS has the provision for storing information about the details of parentage of a variety, reference variety and that of example varieties and for picking up the relevant varieties that are to be grown with the candidate varieties in the DUS test.

For this purpose a vast database was created by taking the known characters of several hundred already released varieties. The database can be searched using specific words that are distinguishing characters of a new denomination. The already known variety that is nearest to the candidate variety but is not identical can be located through an IINDUS search. Such example varieties can be grown in the DUS test plots to examine and differentiate the new variety from the earlier registered ones.

Both of the databases are not yet accessible by other than few government bodies as PPV&FRA and NBPGR. It is a hope that these databases will be first complete and then available to users on payment basis for routine surfing and to confirm the newness of the material.