ARI Biennial Review for 2018-2019

VARIETY EXAMINATION CENTER According to EU legislation, commercialisation of seeds for sowing is only allowed for varieties that are registered in the National Catalogues of the Member States and/or in the Common European Catalogue. Research activity at the Variety Examination Center focused on the execution of field trials required for the registration of varieties in the National Catalogue. For the purposes of registration, an application must be submitted to the Designated Authority (Department of Agriculture) by the breeder, the maintainer or their authorised legal representative residing in Cyprus. The procedure followed for examining varieties prior to their registration in the National Catalogue is described below. Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability trials The Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) trials take at least two years to complete and include observations on morphological, physiological and agronomic characteristics of varieties, according to the protocols of the Community Plant Varieties Office (CPVO) and the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV). During the growing season of 2017/18, one barley variety (‘Myrtou’), one peanut variety (‘Olivia’) and one triticale variety (TR10) were subjected to trials for the first year and in 2018/19 the same varieties for the second year. Also for the growing season 2018/19, two vetch varieties (‘Kimon’ and ‘Zinon’) and three barley varieties (‘Trikomo’, ‘Morfou’ and ‘Lefka’) were tested to renew their registration in the National Catalogue. The results were reported to the competent Authority (Department of Agriculture). ( K. Mina ) Value for Cultivation and Use trials The Variety for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials are conducted at several sites representing the environments where the main rain-fed crops are grown. They last for at least two consecutive growing seasons wherein grain yield, yield related characteristics and quality traits are examined. During the 2017/18 and 2018/19 the peanut variety ‘Olivia’ and barley variety ‘Myrtou’ were tested for the first and second year, respectively. The results were reported to the competent Authority (Department of Agriculture). ( K. Mina ) 70 VARIETY EXAMINATION CENTER