The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of 13 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include cotton and rice.

The 13 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 13 certificates are:

• the ST 4691B, ST 457, and ST 4892BR varieties of cotton, developed by Emergent Genetics, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee;
   
• the PM 2379 RR, DeltaTOPAZ, DP 555 BG/RR, DP 432 RR, DP 449 BG/RR, Sure-Grow 125B/R, and DeltaOPAL varieties of cotton, developed by D&PL Technology Holding Company, LLC., Scott, Mississippi;
   
• the HQ210CT variety of cotton, developed by Seed Source, Inc., Stoneville, Mississippi;
   
• the FIBERMAX 819 variety of cotton, developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Campbell, Australia; and
   
• the Tsuyayaka variety of rice, developed by Nakajima Yoshio Syouten, Shiga, Japan.

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.