OSU-OARDC Plant Germplasm Release Guidelines and Practices

Special Circular 178-01

Mechanisms for Germplasm Release

Crop Variety Release and Distribution Committee

1. CVRDC Functions
   1. To determine what constitutes adequate evaluation of a breeding line or genetic material for release and to develop guidelines and criteria (see Section IV on page 13) for releasing varieties.
   2. To recommend to the Director of the OARDC any variety, inbred line, or genetic materials for release. The Director's approval is required for all Ohio releases.
   3. To assist, upon the recommendation of the committee to release a variety or germplasm, the appropriate plant breeder in preparation of an appropriate "variety release notice" for approval by the Director. The approved notice is to be sent to all state Agricultural Experiment Station directors, appropriate USDA personnel, interested private companies, and Ohio Department of Agriculture personnel.
   4. To recommend to the Director of OARDC how new varieties or germplasm are to be released and distributed.
   5. To make recommendations to the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and to the Director of OARDC concerning changes needed in, or observed violation of, the Ohio Seed Law, including provisions of the Revised Plant Variety Protection Act of 1974.
   6. To make recommendations to the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and to the Director of OARDC concerning any matters deemed significant in terms of variety release and distribution involving agricultural crops.
   7. To determine whether Ohio will participate and co-release cultivars or germplasm from other states. If royalty issues on out-of-state varieties are involved, the committee makes policy recommendations to the Director of OARDC.

2. Membership
   1. Regular faculty and staff identified by the Chair of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science as having responsibility for plant breeding research on corn, soybeans, small grains, tomatoes, and other agronomic and horticultural crops as deemed appropriate.
   2. An OSU Extension agronomist/horticulturist involved in crop improvement and crop production.
   3. Chair, Ohio State University Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Associate Chair, OSU Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.
   4. Two representatives, from the OSU Department of Plant Pathology, responsible for corn, soybeans, small grains, or vegetables.
   5. Representative from the OSU Department of Entomology.
   6. Representative from the Ohio Seed Improvement Association (OSIA).
   7. Representative from Ohio Foundation Seeds (OFS).
   8. Representative from the Ohio Agribusiness Association.
   9. Representative from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
   10. Assistant Director, Agricultural Industry, OSU Extension.
   11. USDA-ARS crop breeders and geneticists stationed at Ohio State University.
   12. Representative from the OSU Office for Technology Licensing.

3. General Provisions

   The Chair of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science shall serve as chair of the CVRDC; the Associate Chair of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science shall serve as vice chair. A plant breeder in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science shall serve as secretary of this committee. The committee shall be empowered to call upon the service of other individuals (on an ad hoc basis) for advice and assistance in accordance with committee determination as to need for such advice and assistance.

   All meetings of the committee must have a quorum of at least 10 members to conduct official committee business. Majority rule shall be recognized in all decisions of the committee. Committee governance shall be in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. All votes shall be by ballot except where voice votes are agreed to unanimously by the voting members present. The breeder(s) involved in a variety or line release and members with direct proprietary interests in the proposed variety release shall abstain from voting on such releases.

   The foregoing committee shall become one of the "continuing standing committees" of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and Ohio State University Extension. Prior to July 1 each year, suggestions for changes in committee membership shall be made by those administrative officers to whom members of the committee regularly report. If no recommendations for change are received prior to July 1 of each year, the OARDC Director will reappoint all members for the succeeding committee year, which will commence on September 1 each year.

   It is essential that the committee chair or vice chair establish regular meeting dates each year covering the period September 1 through the following August 31 and make known those dates to all members of the committee. Special meetings may be authorized by majority vote of the Executive Committee of the CVRDC which is comprised of the chair, vice chair, secretary, the representative of the OSIA, and the representative of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, or upon petition by a majority of the total committee membership.

   Each committee member shall consult with his or her supervisor or other appropriate official as to an individual who can be named as an official substitute and such substitute member shall attend all "specially called" meetings which cannot be attended by the regularly appointed member. Substitute membership will enjoy voting privileges at all such meetings. Minutes of each regular or special meeting shall be sent to each member of the committee, as well as to the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and to the Director and Associate Director of OARDC. The Director of OARDC reviews and must approve all CVRDC meeting minutes.