The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of 12 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include bluegrass, fescue, flax, and soybean.

The 12 certificates are being issued under the Plant Variety Protection Act. The certificates require that the varieties be new, distinct, uniform and stable. The owners will have the exclusive right to reproduce, sell, import and export their products in the United States for the duration of protection.

The 12 certificates are:

• the Total Eclipse and Liberator varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by J.R. Simplot Company doing business as Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, Idaho;
• the SR 2109 variety of Kentucky bluegrass, developed by Seed Research of Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon;
• the Florentine and Badger varieties of red fescue, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc., Hubbard, Oregon;
• the Endeavor variety of tall fescue, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc., Rolesville, North Carolina;
• the Taurus* variety of flax, developed by CEBECO Seeds B.V., Vlijmen, Holland; and
• the DP 5414 RR, 3186004, DP 4909, SG 498 RR and SG 759 RR varieties of soybean, developed by D&PL Technology Holding Company, LLC., Scott, Mississippi.

* In the United States seed of this variety (1) shall be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed and (2) shall conform to the number of generations specified by the owner of the rights (84 STAT. 1542, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2321 ET SEQ).

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service administers the Plant Variety Protection Act, which provides time limited marketing protection to developers of new and distinct seed- reproduced and tuber-propagated plants ranging from farm crops to flowers. For additional information contact the Plant Variety Protection Office at telephone (301) 504-5518, fax (301) 504-5291 or the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/science/PVPO/pvp.htm.