Annual meeting of the UPOV Technical Group on Testing Methods and Techniques (TWM)

The second meeting of the UPOV Technical Working Party on Testing Methods and Techniques (TWM) was held from April 8 to 11.  Bringing together more than a hundred participants from five continents, this TWM 2024 addressed the methodological issues currently being addressed in DUS studies (phenotyping, genotyping and statistical analyses). Two points developed by GEVES were presented, namely good practice in the use of molecular markers as an alternative to disease resistance biotests, and the comparison of COYD (Combined over year distinctness) statistical analysis software for establishing the distinction between varieties requiring this statistical technique.

GEVES, representing France, was particularly active in this session, giving two presentations:

• The results of cooperation between the FR- NL- IT offices, as part of the H2020 INVITE project, for the use of molecular marking as an alternative to resistance biotests (illustration on 3 pairs of pests in tomato) were shared with the international community. An initial draft on best practices for validating a protocol based on molecular markers (alternative method) within the framework of UPOV model 1 was presented following the organisation by GEVES of several international exchanges.
• The results of a comparison of several COYD analysis software packages were presented. COYD is a statistical method for distinguishing between varieties, used routinely in DUS studies on several species, particularly forage and turf species. This comparison carried out by GEVES was based on the analysis of data sets shared by French, Chinese and British colleagues. It is planned to refine the analyses and conclusions of the COYD and to work on the COYU, a statistical method for assessing the uniformity of the varieties under study, for the next session in 2025.