The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of nine new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include corn, cotton, soybean and triticale.

The nine 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 nine certificates are:

• the PH3PR and PH5DP varieties of corn, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., Johnston, Iowa;
• the DeltaPEARL variety of cotton, developed by D&PL Technology Holding Company LLC., Scott, Miss.;
• the FM 966* variety of cotton, developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization,  Campbell, Australia;
• the D2429 variety of cotton, developed by Syngenta Seeds Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.;
• the Phytogen 33 Acala* variety of cotton, developed by J.G. Boswell Company Cottonseed Breeding, Corcoran, California;
• the 91M51 variety of soybean, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., Johnston, Iowa;
• the DP 5915 RR variety of soybean, developed by D&PL Technology Holding Company LLC., Scott, Mississippi; and
• the NE422T variety of triticale, developed by Board of Regents, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska.

* 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/pvpindex.htm.