The University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre (CDC) has assigned international marketing rights to a number of pulse crop varieties as part of its program to capture a royalty on seed sold outside of Canada.

Seed growers who sell or would like to start selling seed of these varieties in the United States should contact the appropriate company to arrange reporting of sales, collection, and submission of the appropriate royalties.

"We encourage pedigreed seed producers to participate in this program," says Rick Holm, director of the U of S Crop Development Centre. "Canadian growers strongly support our research programs, and it's fair that growers outside of Canada who benefit from these varieties also contribute."

Several CDC varieties are attractive to growers outside of Canada, particularly in the north central and north-western United States. In the past, when seed of CDC varieties was sold into these markets, no royalties were collected and there was no return to the CDC. Assigning exclusive marketing rights to specific companies allows the CDC to capture a royalty on seed sold outside of Canada to support further plant breeding, as well as to develop new opportunities for Saskatchewan seed growers.

Three seed companies - Nodricks Norsask Seeds Ltd. of Tisdale, Sask. (field peas), FarmPure Seeds of Regina (lentils), and Canterra Seeds (2002) Ltd. of Winnipeg (dry beans and chickpeas) - have been assigned the outside-of-Canada rights.

In Canada, the producer-funded Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) initially hold the marketing rights to virtually all CDC pulse crop varieties and distribute them to Select Growers in Saskatchewan and Alberta through their Variety Release Program (VRP). VRP participants are granted a royalty-free license to produce and distribute pedigreed seed of the varieties in Canada but are not licensed to market seed outside the country.

A list of varieties is available online at http://harlie.usask.ca/research/communications/newsroom.php.