About UF/IFAS Plant Breeding Programs
UF/IFAS is home to 30 faculty plant breeders who create plant varieties and germplasm with new and superior characteristics, including improved yield, quality, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability. The UF/IFAS Dean for Research Office provides support to the UF/IFAS plant breeders in evaluating, releasing, and commercializing new plant cultivars.
Pre-Release Management
In certain instances, field evaluations are conducted by industry cooperators under trial agreements to assess and confirm certain traits. The UF/IFAS Dean for Research office participates in developing and processing various trial agreements with the primary responsibility of negotiating and managing materials transfer agreements. The office also provides support in developing certain sponsored research agreements.
When an experimental line shows potential to make a significant contribution, per UF/IFAS policy, the proposed experimental line must first be submitted to a departmental cultivar release advisory committee (CRAC). Departmental CRACs are organized as needed to conduct a rigorous scientific review of the proposed experimental line. The CRAC submits its recommendation to the FAES Director, who has final responsibility for granting approval for release.
Click here for the Cultivar Release Guidelines.
UF/IFAS Plant Breeders Workgroup
The UF/IFAS Plant Breeders Workgroup (PBWG) was organized and began meeting annually in 1993 with the goal of coordinating statewide plant breeding efforts. Membership is open to all active and emeritus UF/IFAS plant breeders.
Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc.
Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. (FFSP) is a non-profit corporation and direct support organization of the University of Florida. FFSP works closely with the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (FAES), an agricultural and natural resources research program of UF/IFAS.
FFSP manages the intellectual property, including U.S. Plant Patents, USDA PVP Certificates, International Plant Breeder’s Rights Certificates, and Trademarks, for new and improved plant varieties released by UF/IFAS plant breeders.
Once intellectual property protection is obtained, FFSP manages the technology transfer of the released varieties. FFSP licenses plant varieties to growers throughout Florida, the United States, and abroad, collects royalties on sales and usage of the varieties, and then distributes royalty revenue in accordance with the UF Intellectual Property Policy. UF/IFAS and FFSP have a unique royalty distribution policy, whereby 70% of all royalty revenue is reinvested directly into the respective breeding program responsible for the variety's development. This policy is one of the most competitive in the nation, and augments the FAES’ mission to provide new plant varieties to Florida and the world.
