MOLECULES OR METRESTICKS: THE FUTURE FOR CULTIVARS IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION

Exciting possibilities for the use of molecular techniques in variety registration, supplementary to, or replacing, some current morphological examinations, have been under consideration within UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) for a number of years. Testing authorities face increasing resource problems with large reference collections and have been attracted by the way that molecular techniques might be used to provide permanent and environmentally neutral variety descriptions. This could allow the molecular characterisation of varieties and reduce the need for large-scale field trials to determine variety morphology. However, the potential discriminating power of the molecular techniques also brings some risks for both authorities and plant breeders in that the desire to increase the access to the marketplace for new varieties must always be balanced against the maintenance of adequate protection for existing varieties. This paper provides a brief update on the development of model systems for some crops that might, in future, allow molecular techniques to be employed and discusses some of the issues surrounding their possible future introduction.