Genetic Improvement and New Varieties Protection 

This post is based in the seminar "Intellectual property rights on living and improvement of agricultural species" held at the Catholic University of Valparaiso, on December 3, 2010, also in  book of Genetics and Plant Breeding of Polytechnic University of Valencia and published in the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). 

Agrobiodiversity and Biodiversity in agriculture, "considers all plant and animal groups in agriculture and their wild relatives, their species of origin, and the species that interact with them as pollinators, pest predators, as well as the range where agriculture is developed, and not just the spaces with arable land and cultivated fields. Thus, it contains all the variety and variability of living organisms that contribute to food and agriculture. In general.includes genes, populations, species , communities, ecosystems, and the landscape's components but also the human interactions with them. includes many habitats and species outside of farming systems that will benefit farming, and improving cultivated ecosystem functions" (Jakson et al., 2005 cited by Bazile, 2010). 

"Phytogenetic Resources cover the entire plant genetic material of different content, in traditional varieties and improved varieties as well as wild varieties that have links to the cultivated species (family) and all other plants, which we use today or in the future for food and agriculture "(FAO, 1996 cited by Bazile, 2010). 

The existence of diversity has made ​ possible not only the natural evolution of species, but also the selection of those exercised by man. Result of this artificial selection, the human beings have domesticated plants and animals for use, obtaining varieties and breeds adapted to their needs (Fita Fernandez et al., 2008).

According to Fita  Fernandez et al. (2008) Plant breeding, try to take advantage of plant's genetic potential for human benefit , his ultimate aim is to develop new forms (cultivars) adapted to human needs. Since 10,000 years ago when man began domestication, the selected plants have suffered extraordinary transformations, showing large differences with the wild species from which they were domesticated. In this sense Bazile (2010) points out 5 origin centers of genetic resources: 

• Middle East for barley and wheat.
• Southeast Asian for rice.
• Los Andes for potatoes and quinoa.
• Africa for millet and sorghum
• Central America for corn.

While Fita Fernandez et al. (2008) notes 8 centers of origin:

• Chinese Centre (A) for soybean, radish, turnip, pak-choi, cabbage, scallions, rakkyo, cucumber (Cucumis), and yam,
• Malaysian Indian and Indiomalayo Center (Ba and Bb) for eggplant, cucumber (Cucumis), mung bean, cowpea, taro, yam, banana, and breadfruit tree,
• Central Asian Center (C): for the pea, bean, mung bean, mustard, onion, garlic, spinach and carrots,
• Middle East Center (D) for lentil and lupine,
• Mediterranean Center (E) for celery, asparagus, beets, turnips, cabbage, chicory, parsnips, peas and rhubarb.
• Abyssinian Centre (F) for okra, watercress and cowpea.
• American Center (G): for pepper, chili, alcayota, squash, sweet potatoes, lima beans, beans and corn.
• South American (H): (Ha) Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia: pepper, chili, squash, tomatoes, garrofón, beans, tomatillo, potato, cucumberfruit, (Hb) Chile: potatoes, (Hc) Brazil-Paraguay: Cassava.

These origin center allow searches for accessions of genetic variability contribute to the character you want to improve, as they set out the highest intraspecific diversity of species they contain.

The steps or phases for a plant breeding program are: 

• Defining the objectives of improvement plan.
• Search or prospecting for genes that may achieve the desired objectives
• Combination of genes to form a new plant material (potential cultivars).
• Evaluation of plant material obtained.
• Distribution of this material as a new variety or commercial cultivar.

Genetic improvement is based on genetics, botany, plant science, plant physiology, biochemistry, plant pathology, entomology and statistics, in recent years there has been a great revolution through the emergence of genetic engineering, genomics and biotechnology.

Development of new improved plant materials (cultivars, segregating or mutant) implies a long and very expensive process, so to encourage the development of new materials is used forms of protection of New Varieties in property rights, sufficient to recover the investment made (Fita Fernandez et al., 2008).

The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva (Switzerland) and created International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. The Convention was adopted in Paris in 1961 and was revised in 1972, 1978 and 1991. The objective is protection of plant varieties by an intellectual property right (involving payment of royalty for use of invention).

Within the Convention UPOV91, Breeder means the person who created or discovered, and developed a "variety", also means a person who is the employer of the aforementioned person or who has commissioned the work, when the law of the Party relevant Contracting so provide, or the assignee of the first or second aforementioned person, as appropriate. In the same Convention defines a set variety of plants from a single botanical taxon of lower rank, which grouping, irrespective of whether or not fully the conditions for the granting of a breeder's right, can:

• Defined by the expression of characteristics resulting from a given genotype or combination of genotypes,
• Distinguished from any other group of plants by the expression of one of said characteristics at least
• Considered as a unit with regard to its suitability for being propagated unchanged.

UPOV grants plant variety rights when the variety is new, distinct, uniform and stable, which must be demonstrated (UPOV, 2011).

Thus, in many ways it is noted that multinational companies like Monsanto can take over the plant genetic resources and the "species" of Chile, but Chile is annexed to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and this recognizes state sovereignty of Chile on plant genetic resources, therefore access to and use of it, are organized by a bilateral contract and in case of strange situations, one can resort to the protection of plant genetic resources (Trommetter, 2010) and may also be declared "Reserves" in Convention UPOV91always when the Act was a member UPOV78 (condition that Chile would own the sign UPOV91), in which materials are declared as their own culture and traditions of the country , free of protection. 

With regard to the rights of farmers, UPOV91 notes that "can only use seeds saved from previous crops within their own land, if national laws allow, within reasonable limits and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the breeder" (Santilli , 2010). Here are restricted exchange and sale of saved seed of protected varieties. While the Act UPOV78 of which Chile is a member does not give such restrictions on farmers, the signing of free trade agreements with the USA and the European Union requires Chile to adopt the Act UPOV91. The restrictions apply only to designated protected crops (varieties) for intellectual property rights (Santilli, 2010).

Also within the constraints (rights of breeders) can not use copyright material for the generation of new varieties (varieties derived) without paying for innovation previously conducted by the breeder of the parent material. In another sense Gratacós (2010) notes that it can protect the spread of the new variety obtained, but the reproductive material to produce new varieties should be freely available or access and also that if a breeder gets a new variety of other 2-free varieties, he appropriates and begin torestrict access for the development of new varieties, may be the owner of the variety you get, but not sexual material you own (unless it was protected, and if a variety derived from therein).

Discussion of UPOV91 in Chile, does not apply to content regarding GMOs (genetically modified organisms), since in Chile there are no such products, and legislation relating to the subject is discussed in a different draft legislation.

The positive side of UPOV91 implementation is the incentive to innovation in breeding in Chile and a jump towards the creation of new varieties adapted to the own conditions and needs of  country, and at the same time bring to varieties market, materials that may be useful in other countries which receive royalties, also on the other hand the varieties themselves have generated an increase in the competitiveness of domestic agriculture, not depending on varieties developed abroad.

References:

Bazile, D. 2010. Biodiversidad, agrobiodiversidad y recursos fitogenéticos para agricultura y alimentación: entre origen, acceso, circulación y apropiación de lo vivo. Derechos de propiedad intelectual sobre lo vivo y el mejoramiento de especies agrícolas. pág: 7-15. 

Fita Fernández, Rodriguez Burruezo y Prohens. 2008. Genética y mejora vegetal. 190 p. Editorial Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Valencia, España. 


Gratacós, E. 2010. Mejoramiento genético en cerezas: una mirada desde la agronomía. Derechos de propiedad intelectual sobre lo vivo y el mejoramiento de especies agrícolas. pág:43-51. 

Santilli, J. 2010. El surgimiento de los "derechos de los agricultores" en el plano internacional. Derechos de propiedad intelectual sobre lo vivo y el mejoramiento de especies agrícolas. pág: 27-34.

Trommetter, M. 2010. Organización de la investigación y derecho de propiedad intelectual en las biotecnologías agrícolas: los desafíos para el innovador. Derechos de propiedad intelectual sobre lo vivo y el mejoramiento de especies agrícolas. pág: 17-25. 

UPOV. 2011. Unión internacional para la protección de las obtenciones vegetales. Disponible en http://www.upov.int/index_es.html. Leído el 21 de Junio de 2011.