Plant Breeders Release First 'Open Source Seeds'

[The Straight Story]

A group of scientists and food activists is launching a Thursday to change the rules that govern seeds. They're releasing 29 new varieties of crops under a new "open source pledge" that's intended to safeguard the ability of farmers, gardeners and plant breeders to share those seeds freely.

It's inspired by the example of open source software, which is freely available for anyone to use but cannot legally be converted into anyone's proprietary product.

At an event on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, backers of the new Open Source Seed Initiative will pass out 29 new varieties of 14 different crops, including carrots, kale, broccoli and quinoa. Anyone receiving the seeds must pledge not to restrict their use by means of patents, licenses or any other kind of intellectual property. In fact, any future plant that's derived from these open source seeds also has to remain freely available as well.

Irwin Goldman, a vegetable breeder at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, helped organize the campaign. It's an attempt to restore the practice of open sharing that was the rule among plant breeders when he entered the profession more than 20 years ago.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/04/17/303772556/plant-breeders-release-first-open-source-seeds

[tk2kewl]

1. open everything is the future

[phantom power]

2. that's cool. I xposted in Open Source and Free Software

[yellowcanine]

3. The problem is that funding for public breeders has been drying up.

The USDA used to do a lot of plant breeding and release breeding lines which breeders at public land grant universities would take and use to develop varieties which were then released to farmers. However, with the advent of hybrid corn, much of the corn breeding work was taken over by seed companies. And more and more, there simply are not enough resources for public plant breeders to develop varieties which can be open sourced to farmers. Ag Experiment Station funds which supported this research has pretty much been flat for years, even as costs have increased. There are grant funds which can be applied for, but long term breeding programs cannot be sustained solely on grant funds.

[tridim]

4. Neat. I'll take Cannabis, kale and spinach. nt

[Lochloosa]

5. Might want to get some Suger Beets too....