THE FUTURE OF THE TAXONOMY OF CULTIVATED PLANTS

In agriculture and horticulture, at least 80% of taxonomic problems are related to the cultivar. In particular, questions such as (a) “Am I really dealing with a new cultivar?” (b) “To which species does a cultivar belong?” (c) “How can I recognize a cultivar phenotypically, especially if it is a hybrid?” and (d) “Does the cultivar-group system always work?” continually impact on the work of those dealing with the classification and naming of cultivated plant material. Further questions dealing with the very nature of cultivars and whether wild forms or other categories named under the provisions of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) should be eligible for cultivar status form an ongoing debate, as do a range of other issues such as the nomenclatural treatment of mixtures as cultivars in the agricultural industry. Statutory registration systems are based on DUS (Distinction, Uniformity, and Stability). The denominations provided through these systems have historically been made with minimal reference to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP). Stability in naming is the first priority for those trading in, and legislating for, cultivars in the market place. Clearly there is a need to provide an international forum for discussion and resolution of these and other related problems so that the interests of plant breeders, collection mangers, plant traders, taxonomists, and legislators may be discussed and resolved in a decisive way through a platform that carries international recognition. These and other issues are discussed from the perspective of European legislation, UPOV recommendations, and statutory registration in vegetables, fruit, and ornamentals, with examples to demonstrate the problems and to promote a discussion on the future of taxonomic work in the field of cultivated plants.