Backcrossing – Mating of a hybrid to one of its parents. BC1 BC2, etc. Symbols used to designate the first backcross generation, the second backcross generation, and so forth.
Branded Seed – Plant material derived from a cross that is sold without a variety name. The variety is owned by a seed genetics supplier which licenses the production and marketing rights to one or more other companies to be marketed under many different brand names. Branded seed must be labeled under variety-not-stated provisions of applicable state seed labeling laws.
Breeder Seed – Seed or vegetative propagating material, increased by the originating, sponsoring plant breeder or institution, used as the source for the increase of foundation seed.
Certified Seed – (a) Seed of a cultivar that has been verified for its genetic identity and purity by an official seed-certifying agency. Classes of certified seed are foundation, registered, and certified. (b) Class of certified seed that generally is produced from a planting of registered seed, but which also may be produced from foundation or certified seed.
Cultivar – Synonymous with variety; the international equivalent of variety.
Elite Germplasm – Plant materials of proven genetic superiority. Material in this advanced stage of development is a candidate for variety release.
Exotic Germplasm – Plant material of unknown genetic value often comprised of plant introductions, accessions, or germplasm of diverse geographic origin. (See also Raw Germplasm.)
Foundation Seed – Seed stocks increased from breeder seed, and so handled as to closely maintain the genetic identity and purity of a variety. Foundation seed is the source of certified seed, either directly or through registered seed.
Germplasm – Total of the genotypes that constitute a species.
Hybrid – Seed or plants produced as the result of controlled pollination as opposed to seed produced as the result of natural pollination.
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) – A document developed by the originator or plant breeder setting forth terms of restricted use of plant materials, populations, varieties, elite and raw germplasm, brands, and other plant propagules.
Open Pollinated – Seed produced as the result of natural pollination as opposed to hybrid seed produced as a result of controlled pollination.
Public Release – Variety or germplasm developed and released by public institutions, such as universities, colleges, institutes, centers, USDA-ARS.
Private Release – Variety or germplasm developed and released by a private company.
Plant Variety Protection (PVP) – The developer of a new distinct variety may obtain protection for a variety if he/she chooses to do so, provided the variety meets the requirements of the Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970. This Act permits the owner or developer of a variety to prohibit others from selling, sexually multiplying, using for propagation for seed, or using to produce a hybrid, seed of his variety. The Act was revised in 1994.
The other option ("certification option") for protecting a variety utilizes the provisions of the Title V of the Federal Seed Act. A variety protected in this manner may be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed.
It is the responsibility of the seller to inform the buyer if the variety is protected. Each container of seed sold should be labeled with a tag indicating the type of protection that the owner has. Under the first PVP option the label will state: "Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited U.S. Protected Variety."
If the owner of the variety has chosen the other option for variety protection, the label will state, "Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited To Be Sold by Variety Name Only as a Class of Certified Seed U.S. Protected Variety."
Raw Germplasm – Genetic material that has been derived from plants or native populations or parental material of unproven genetic status. Much selection pressure must be applied to such materials in order to derive superior performing varieties. Specifically defined as F4, S3, or earlier; coefficient of inbreeding equivalent to that of F4, S3, or lower.
Registered Seed – Class of certified seed generally produced from foundation seed, but which may also be produced from breeder seed.
Variety – Subdivision of a species for taxonomic classification. Used interchangeably with the term cultivar to denote a group of individuals that are distinct genetically from other groups of individuals in the species. An agricultural variety is a group of similar plants that by structural features and performance can be identified from other varieties within the same species.