Should Public Breeding Programs Spend Efforts on Expired Proprietary (ex-PVP) Maize (Zea mays L.) Industry Lines?.

Should public breeding programs spend efforts on expired proprietary (ex-PVP) maize (Zea mays L.) industry lines?

Md. A. Al Bari, S. Sharma, and M. J. Carena*

Dept. of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State Univ. (NDSU), Dep. #7670, Fargo, ND 58108-6050

*Corresponding author, email:marcelo.carena@ndsu.edu

Abstract

Protection expired (ex-PVP) maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines are publicly available to utilize, after being restricted through the U.S. Patent and/or Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) for 20 years. The purpose of this study was to assess the trait properties of ex-PVP maize short-season inbred lines. Three sets of North Carolina Mating Design II (NCII) crosses were made with 12 NDSU lines, 24 ex-PVP lines, and 7 current industry testers in the 2010 and 2010-11 seasons. Hybrids and checks were arranged in partially balanced lattice trials across six ND environments in 2011 and 2012. Ex-PVP genetic materials might not be directly useful as immediate commercial hybrids. It seems genetically broad materials would be more desirable than ex-PVP genetically narrow materials.  Top ex-PVP lines for certain desirable traits could be inter-mated to develop new populations. However, there would be a need to maximize genetic improvement before initiating new inbred line development with these materials. Farmers still do not have access to potentially better hybrids. These are still missing for the northern U.S. Corn Belt due to lack of breeding access in PVPA/patent protected materials that could be improved. Breeding right access, to the PVPA/patent protected materials could provide improved hybrids before expiration of the protected material. Several weaknesses are still present in industry hybrid parents, especially in marginal regions or in present of significant climate changes. Partnerships between public and private sectors are encouraged to allow breeding access in order to develop better hybrids.