Standard clearance after the QCVN test expires
The development of a unified system of standards for variety testing is becoming an urgent requirement, in the context that many previous technical documents have expired, causing confusion for testing organizations in implementation. The plant variety management system therefore lacks a synchronous foundation for consistent evaluation, recognition and circulation of varieties.
The seminar was attended by hundreds of delegates in person and online. Photo: Bao Thang.
At the seminar "Current status of applying science and technology in research, selection and production of vegetable and flower varieties in Vietnam; Self-declaration of circulation and practical approach to build TCVN on testing non-main crop groups" on the morning of November 28, Mr. Tran Xuan Dinh, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Plant Seed Trade Association, said that the biggest problem currently lies in the mechanism of recognition and self-declaration of circulation of varieties.
The Law on Crop Production 2018 and Decree 94/2019/ND-CP clearly stipulate these two mechanisms, but their implementation in practice is hindered by the incomplete technical standards system. Major crop groups still have to undergo VCU testing (to see if the variety is delicious, has good yield, and is effective enough to be put into production), while many other crop groups are subject to self-declaration. The difference in appraisal methods makes the circulation of varieties lack connectivity, causing confusion for businesses and management agencies.
In 2022, a series of national standards (QCVN) on variety testing will be canceled, while new TCVNs for many crops have not yet been issued. Testing units must rely on internal guidelines or temporary construction standards. The National Center for Testing of Varieties and Plant Products (abbreviated as the Testing Center) said that there are currently many sets of standards being used in parallel between units, leading to a lack of comparability of testing results and not creating a common foundation for post-inspection work.
The lack of unified standards also leads to time-consuming consequences. Many varieties have to be re-tested due to inconsistent evaluation criteria between regions and organizations. Some varieties have to be tested 2-3 times due to differences in morphological indicators or care processes between testing sites. This not only prolongs the time to put varieties into production, but also increases costs for businesses, making it difficult for management agencies to review circulation records.
Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Long: "For groups of plants not on the list of main crops, the self-declaration mechanism according to basic standards is appropriate." Photo: Bao Thang.
Another reason is that the testing data has not yet been integrated into a common system. Technical reports are prepared for each individual topic, lacking a centralized database to serve the work of appraisal, post-inspection and traceability of varieties.
According to the Testing Center, many countries have built DUS databases to uniformly manage tens of thousands of plant varieties, while Vietnam has only stopped at storing them in a decentralized manner. This situation directly affects the state management capacity, especially when the number of varieties in circulation is increasing.
The above shortcomings show that the current system of testing and circulation of varieties lacks a unified set of standards as a foundation. The lack of connection between testing - recognition - self-declaration causes many confusions in implementation, slows down the process of variety innovation and creates additional compliance costs.
Building a standard system in the new context
In both theory and practice, two groups of standards play a core role in variety management, including DUS and VCU. DUS assesses the distinctness, uniformity and stability of varieties, which is the basis for describing and identifying varieties, avoiding confusion in circulation. VCU assesses the value of cultivation and use, reflecting the yield, quality and adaptability of varieties in production conditions. The Law on Crop Production 2018 stipulates that major crops must implement both DUS and VCU, while other crops can self-declare circulation based on basic standards or national standards when issued.
Sharing at the seminar, Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Long, Chairman of the Vietnam Plant Seed Association, assessed that unifying standards is of decisive significance, especially in the context of the market for imported vegetable, flower and fruit tree varieties worth from 500 million to 1 billion USD each year.
Currently, the domestic seed production industry has not met the demand, while basic research capacity is still scattered, slowing down the progress of seed selection and breeding. According to Mr. Long, many laboratories have received large investments but lack long-term research tasks, leading to not being able to fully utilize their capacity. This increases dependence on imported seeds and requires the completion of the standard system to support domestic enterprises to participate more deeply in the market.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Van Dong: "The testing process for many vegetable and flower varieties is still long." Photo: Bao Thang.
Professor Long acknowledged that for groups of plants not on the list of main crops, the self-declaration mechanism according to basic standards is appropriate, but it is necessary to create conditions for both businesses and production organizations to be able to build and publish standards in a transparent manner.
He proposed to consider replacing the list of main crops with a list of priority crops or strategic crops according to each development stage. This approach will create flexibility for the management agency and reflect the actual production; at the same time, it requires strengthening post-control to ensure that the varieties put into circulation meet quality requirements.
At the international level, CropLife notes that many countries have developed public DUS databases, which help to systematize variety descriptions and avoid duplication in research. This is a way to reduce costs for businesses and create transparency in management. Some countries apply a model of reducing pre-inspection for short-term varieties, switching to post-inspection based on a unified set of standards, thereby shortening the time to put varieties into production while still ensuring quality.
The discussion at the seminar agreed that the development of DUS and VCU standards should be appropriate to the characteristics of each crop group. For vegetables and flowers, the growing time is short and the production cycle is continuous, so the standards should be concise, clear, and reflect seasonal fluctuations.
Meanwhile, for major crops, standards must ensure full assessment of factors such as productivity, quality and adaptability before mass production. Experts also emphasize the need for a centralized database for appraisal and post-inspection, avoiding the current situation where each unit uses a different set of standards.
Vegetable variety research at the Institute of Food Crops and Food Plants. Photo: FCRI.
Perfecting the law to innovate breed management
Standardizing DUS and VCU standards is not only a technical requirement, but also a basis for the crop industry to shape a modern and practical variety management policy. This will be the premise for research, production and circulation of varieties, especially for the vegetable and flower groups - a field that depends heavily on imports and is directly affected by the current standard gap.
Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, commented that the development potential of domestic vegetable and flower varieties is still very large, but the selection and circulation process is facing many limitations in terms of procedures and mechanisms. Many imported vegetable and flower varieties are still stuck at the border gate because they have not completed the circulation declaration, although according to regulations, this is a group of plants that are not on the list of main crops.
The lack of unified standards leads to different evaluation records in each place, causing difficulties for both research units and seed production enterprises. Mr. Dong believes that there should be a more flexible mechanism for self-declaration of seed circulation, based on a set of national standards or transparent, easy-to-apply base standards.
According to Mr. Dong, many research results on vegetables and flowers cannot be converted into commercial products because the testing and circulation stages are still prolonged. Organizing demonstration areas and evaluating varieties in an open way, linked with businesses and localities will help shorten the time from research to production. This is also a way to make information about varieties transparent, support businesses in choosing suitable varieties and encourage farmers to access new varieties.
Dr. Nguyen Quy Duong committed to building a unified legal corridor based on clear standards. Photo: Bao Thang.
Taking note of the opinions at the discussion, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection Nguyen Quy Duong said that perfecting the standard system is a prerequisite for amending regulations on circulation and announcement of varieties. According to Circular 17/2020/TT-BNNPTNT, the list of main crops includes 6 types of plants, while other plants, including most of the vegetable and flower groups, are allowed to self-announce circulation. However, this mechanism only operates effectively when there is a clear set of TCVN or TCCS standards, making it easy for management agencies to conduct post-inspection, easy for businesses to apply and for producers to feel secure in using.
Mr. Duong emphasized that the draft amendment to the Law on Cultivation is being developed to be closer to the reality and innovation needs of the industry. In particular, regulations on testing, evaluation of use value, self-declaration of circulation and post-inspection are being reviewed to reduce unnecessary procedures, while ensuring transparency and responsibility of participating entities.
Vietnam is also studying the experience of managing vegetable and flower varieties of countries with similar conditions, in order to develop the domestic seed industry, reduce import dependence and better exploit the short-term production advantages of this group of plants.
The Department's leaders pledged to work closely with associations, research institutes and businesses to complete the draft law in the most feasible direction. The goal is to build a unified legal corridor, based on clear standards, to help the testing and circulation of varieties take place faster, more accurately and in line with the orientation of sustainable agricultural development.
When standards are unified and laws are properly amended, the seed management system will create a foundation for domestic research to develop, businesses to expand investment, and farmers to have faster access to new varieties.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/thong-nhat-tieu-chuan-de-hoan-thien-quan-ly-giong-cay-trong-d787025.html
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