I'm working on a multi year project to produce and select many perennial Helianthus (sunflower) clones of various crosses to accumulate a genetically diverse breeding population for development of selections ranging from seed production, tuber production or primarily ornamental.
While I have primary interest in producing this genetically diverse breeding population for my own breeding goals I imagine there would be other plant breeders interested in acquiring clones from me to use in their own breeding projects and I am open to that, but I would only do so if I could be sure they wouldn't build upon my work to produce patented selections...
From what I understand OSSI pledged varieties are typically the finished stable varieties, not breeder material. Is there any precedent for pledging breeding material?
For those curious to see the progress I've made thus far here's this: https://johannsgarden.blogspot.com/2021/08/perennial-helianthus-breeding.html
There is a breeding material option when you pledge so in theory it should work.
If you are sharing cuttings, intended to be grown as clones, then I suppose that they are finished varieties...
Quote from: William S. on 2021-08-21, 10:10:59 PM
There is a breeding material option when you pledge so in theory it should work.
That seems to answer my question. Thanks!
Quote from: Joseph Lofthouse on 2021-08-21, 10:59:45 PM
If you are sharing cuttings, intended to be grown as clones, then I suppose that they are finished varieties...
Yes, if I end up sharing any they would be clones (either rhizomes or tubers) of select breeding material that has potential to be good parent plants for continued selection. They wouldn't necessarily be intended as finished varieties to promote to home gardeners, but just good genetic repositories from which to continue working towards the development of good garden varieties.
The main reason I think I would release some breeder material is that I'm going to have a lot of diversity available and understand that there are some people who would like to select towards different traits than I'm selecting for so it would just make sense to share F1 hybrids that are highly heterozygous and would yield lots of diversity for selection upon further crossing.