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 Enquiries SEED News - july/aug 2006
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This section is coordinated by the professors from the Federal University of Pelotas-Brazil, with the objective of answering the inquiries sent by the readers.
Send your question to e-mail: silmar@seednews.inf.br
With regards to accreditation of seed laboratories, it seems that several organizations are acting on the process. Could you comment this, since I am about to find an accreditation system to my laboratory?
There are three entities providing accreditation: ISO (International Organization for Standardization), which is quite wide, accrediting many other processes as well; ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation), which provides accreditation certificates to almost all kinds of laboratories; and ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) system, specific for seed laboratories. In Brazil, laboratories for domestic market are adopting ISO 17025 system, and ISTA's for international market. With regards to costs, the difference between them is small.
Reading the last issue of SEED News about maize, I noticed that there is a hybrid of maize that is indicated for high technology purposes, which seems to be very common and seen on folders spread by companies that market maize seeds. Why is such terminology used based on technology instead of simple, triple, and double hybrid maize?
There are instances in which the correct terminology causes a wrong value perception, as for hybrid maize. For a layman, double hybrid maize is the best, however it is not like this because the simple hybrid is richer in hetherosys and thus a superior yield potential. In order to avoid such misunderstanding, companies use the technology adopted in the production for positioning their materials.
As to cultivars protection, what does breeder exception means? I usually hear terms like this one, however I do not understand them well.
In the rule for cultivars protection, according to UPOV's convention in 1978 or 1991, it is allowed to the breeder to use in his/her breeding program the elite varieties developed by other colleagues with no royalties to pay. The justification, is that with this, every one is allowed to access a germplasm bank with large genetical variability. It is good to emphasize that not everybody agrees with such procedure, stating that it causes the genetical basis to be narrower. However, in one thing they are all right: the breeder exeption speeds the appearance of more superior materials up.
I have understood that the best way to detect OGM in a material is through a DNA analysis. Thus, is it possible to apply it to any part of the plant or a product for identification?
Really, the best identification way is through DNA because there is no need of expression to be present, but not all parts of the plant are indicated for the test. For instance, it is not possible to perform the test on soybeans oil, since it does not have DNA, while in soybeans pellets it also not possible by the industrialization processes; however, in this case, the stripe method can easily solve the matter.
The pioneer on seed analysis, Prof Nobbe, had a large seed collection dated from the 19th century. With the discontinuation of his laboratory, I would like to know where such a valuable collection is.
Prof. Nobbes' collection has 9,000 copies, which can, up to now, be considered a large one. His collection is in the laboratory of the Danish Plant Directorate at Copenhagen, which by the way, is the oldest laboratory functioning since the 19th century. The collection is very well conserved.
It is important that seed business can flow free from hindrances because with this, all agribusiness segments take advantage. In this sense, I would like to know what are the main bottle necks currently?
Business is crucial to generate resourdes; however, there will always occur hindrances and several times mechanisms must be used, even developed, so that the activity can flow harmonically. Currently, according to a research performed by International Seed Federation (ISF), the main problem relates to protecting intellectual property, since seeds piracy is alarming in many countries.
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