AMS No. 176-09

Joan Shaffer (202) 720-8998

Billy Cox (202) 720-8998

WASHINGTON, October 28, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of 23 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include corn and onion.

The 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 23 certificates are:

-- the NP2465, NP2536, NP2482, NP2546, NP2414, NP2405, NP2365, NP2373, NP2424, NP2464 and NP2460 varieties of field corn, developed by Syngenta Seeds, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.;

-- the PHEGV, PHEJW, PHENE, PHEHR, PHC78, PHEED, PHE35 and PHEDR varieties of field corn, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Johnston, Iowa;

-- the I062695, I139593 and I119149 varieties of field corn, developed by Monsanto Technology LLC, Creve Coeur, Mo.; and

-- the WYL 77-5128A variety of onion, developed by Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc., Oxnard, Calif.

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 more information, contact the Plant Variety Protection Office at (301) 504-5518, fax (301) 504-5291 or the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/pvpo.