Saving seeds is an old agricultural practice, but in modern agriculture, farmers are not able or may not want to save seeds for some crops.
Saving seeds
Saving seed is a practice which involves farmers retaining seeds from one year’s crop to sow next year’s fields.
In modern agriculture, farmers are often not able or may not want to save seeds for some crops. For example, modern hybrid corn varieties will yield very well the first year, but the same genetics that make them outstanding will then cause the yield and quality to fall substantially in the second year. For this reason, corn farmers will not save seed, whether the corn they are growing is genetically modified (GM) or not.
For non-hybrid crops like wheat, barley, peas, lupins or chickpeas, seed can be saved. However, following a poor year, farmers may choose to buy new seeds as the ones they have produced may be substandard and could result in poor yield the next year.
Plant Breeders Rights and patent protection of crops
The use of newly developed crops (both GM and non-GM) may be regulated either by Patenting genetically modified (GM) crops or by Plant Breeders Rights protection (PBR). In both cases, restrictions on saving seeds may apply.
In the case of a PBR protected crop, the farmer generally is free to save seeds, but will need a licence from the breeder to be able to sell the crop grown from the saved seeds. For example, the farmer is free to grow the saved seed and feed the harvested crop to animals on his farm, but he needs a licence if he wants to sell the harvest crop grown from the saved seed.
For non-hybrid crops like wheat, barley, peas, lupins or chickpeas, seed can be saved.
In the case of patent protected crops, farmers need to have a licence from the patent owner for each crop they grow and are not allowed to save their own seed for future plantings. This is the case with Roundup Ready (herbicide resistant) GM cotton.
Sometimes, however, the patent owner may grant an ongoing, royalty free licence to growers, which will allow them to save seeds for future crops. This is anticipated to be the case with the insect resistant GM cowpeas which are currently being developed for future release in Sub-Saharan Africa (Insect protected cowpeas information sheet). There, farmers should be able to access the GM cowpea seeds in effectively the same way as they obtain other new conventional varieties of cowpeas and save the seeds if they choose.
These cowpeas will be specifically adapted to Sub-Saharan conditions so if release is ever considered in Australia, further breeding and regulatory approval will be required.
Find out more about The science behind gene technology.
Site Map | Legal Notice and Disclaimer | Privacy | Copyright | Last updated: 16 September 2008
