The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of eight new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include bluegrass, cotton, fescue, peanut, rice, and tobacco.

The eight 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 eight certificates are:

•    the Rugby II variety of kentucky bluegrass, developed by J.R. Simplot Company, Post Falls, Idaho;

•    the Moonlight and Denium varieties of kentucky bluegrass, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc., Hubbard,Ore.;

•    the Fibermax 989 variety of cotton, developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Campbell, Australia;

•    the Bandana variety tall fescue, developed by Pure Seed Testing, Inc, Hubbard, Ore.;

•    the OLin* variety of peanut, developed by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station, Texas;

•    the Cocodrie variety of rice, developed by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Crowley, La.; and       

•    the RG81* variety of tobacco, developed by F.W. Richard Seeds, Inc., Winchester, Ky.       

* 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.