4 Mar

KIA ORA !

For its 51st edition, the meeting of the UPOV Technical Working Party for Ornamental (TWO) was hosted by the PVRO/IPONZ (New Zealand Plant Variety Rigts Office and  Intellectual Property Office of New Zeland) in Christchurch, South Island of New Zealand, from February 17 to 22, 2019. GEVES presented 3 of the 11 guidelines currently being revised.

Experts from the 12 UPOV member delegations present, the international community of breeders of asexually reproduced ornamentals and fruit varieties (CIOPORA) and a delegation from Indonesia, present as observers, discussed general UPOV topics and issues specific to DUS studies for ornamental plants, such as the definition of "growing cycle" for ornamental plants and the concepts of trees and shrubs and their definitions. 

11 guidelines under revision were discussed, GEVES presented the revision of the Berberis, Hydrangea and Lagerstroemia guidelines. 

The technical visit took place at Broadfield Gardens where different collections of native species, such as Clianthus, Pseudopanax, Neopanax and Agathis were presented. The visit continued at the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Centre where DUS tests are carried out. In-vivo reference collections as well as a Agapanthus breeding program were presented to us. 

Finally the group visited the "New Zealand Flax (Phormium) collection" where we received a demonstration on the extraction of leaf fibres. 

Next year, the TWO will take place in June in Leiden, Netherlands. Echinacea and Magnolia will be part of the new technical discussions.