Ornamental, Aromatic & Medicinal Plant Expertise

GEVES conducts field trials for plant variety protection and seed testing across a wide range of ornamental, aromatic and medicinal species.

DUS Expertise for Plant Variety Protection

GEVES, the French examination office, performs Distinction-Uniformity-Stability (DUS) testing that is legally required for the protection of ornamental and aromatic varieties. GEVES receives requests from INOV (French protection), the CPVO (EU protection system) or other EU offices for DUS testing. Candidate varieties are cultivated in open fields or under cover, and compared to well-known varieties in order to guarantee a precise observation of the required criteria.

 

Find out more about plant variety protection

 

Ornamental and aromatic DUS at GEVES

  • 80 genera entrusted by the CPVO including Hydrangea, Chrysanthemum, Lavandula, Buddleia, Lagerstroemia, Abelia, Hibiscus, Coreopsis, Leucanthemum, Salvia, Spiraea, Ipomoea, Mentha, Ocimum…
  • A dedicated team of 10 experts
  • GEVES is a major EU examination office for conducting ornamental DUS trials

 

List of genera tested at GEVES

 

Variety Testing at GEVES

  • Testing conditions:

GEVES carries out testing at its experimental stations which are representative of different soil and climatic conditions. This way, we can adapt to changes in climate and different genera. These stations are close to the main ornamental production areas in France (Loire Valley, West of France, Mediterranean area) and work in collaboration with the sector and technical institutes.

  • Regulatory and scientific expertise:

    • Member of the French CTPS committee for medicinal, aromatic and ornamental plants
    • Strong scientific expertise in cooperation with INRA, GEVES’s founding partner
    • Leading expert at the UPOV and the CPVO.
  • In vivo permanent reference collections for different genera: Hydrangea, Chrysanthemum, Lavandula, Lagerstroemia, Oleander, Buddleia, Berberis, Abelia, Weigelia, Pyracantha, Forsythia, Thyme, Mint…
  • Partnership building with city arboretums for the conservation of reference collections.

 

 

 

What is the purpose of providing material to a reference collection? 

To maintain an up-to-date reference collection, GEVES regularly asks professionals to provide a small number of plant varieties.

Including your varieties in the reference collection has dual benefits:

  • To guarantee the distinction of a candidate variety to well-known varieties, whether or not they are protected,
  • To support third-party cases of fraud or dispute.

Seed Testing

In support of the seed sector, the GEVES laboratories have developed a specific set of analyses for ornamental and aromatic seeds:

 

  • Physical analysis
    • Specific purity and determination of foreign species
    • Micro-cleaning
  • Germination capacity
    • Germination of seeds in optimal or unfavourable conditions
    • Germination of bulblets
    • Seed viability tests
  • Variety resistance tests - e.g. basil resistance to Peronospora behlbarii
  • Seed health
    • Nematology on bulbs, bulblets, rootstocks, and tubers
    • Virology on cyclamen
    • Bacteriology: dill, coriander, parsley
    • Mycology: dill, basil, lavender, parsley
  • Tailored projects using genotyping and biochemistry
  •  R&D: Study and development of individual tailored projects

 

Consult our seed testing services

 

Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources

GEVES supports actors involved in the preservation of plant genetic material and collections. With the aim of creating a dynamic for the conservation of these resources, GEVES contains the National Coordination Structure for cultivated species and their crop wild relatives. Its key actions include:

  • Official recognition by the French state for managers of plant genetic resources collections
  • Identification of the national French collection which contains plant genetic resources of major interest for France

 
Find out more about plant genetic resources at GEVES
 

Contacts

DUS trials Stéphanie Christien – Ornamental and aromatic DUS trials manager: stephanie.christien@geves.fr
Plant Genetic Resources Audrey Didier – National coordinator of the conservation of plant genetic resources: audrey.didier@geves.fr
Laboratories for seeds sampling, micro-cleaning, germination, physical analysis and seed health: service.clients@geves.fr
Laboratories for biochemistry and molecular biology biogeves.analyses@geves.fr

 

Posted 01/18/2019 | Last modification 09/27/2019

In view of the French government's lockdown measures relating to COVID-19, GEVES’s activities have been significantly altered and our staff are working from home wherever possible. GEVES is currently maintaining its official missions which cannot be deferred.

In order for us to meet your demand as efficiently as possible, please contact us by email rather than postal mail.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with your usual GEVES contact by email or send a message to contact@geves.fr. 

We hope you can get through this time as calmly as possibly. Stay healthy, and stay in touch.

Le GEVES