USDA Certifies 26 Varieties

WASHINGTON - Jun 2/06 - SNS -- The USDA issued certificates of protection to developers of twenty-six new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants. They include lettuce, rice, and soybean.

The twenty-six 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 twenty-six certificates are:

* the Liberty variety of lettuce, developed by Progeny Advanced Genetics, Inc., Salinas, Calif.;

* the Tehama variety of lettuce, developed by Paragon Seed, Inc., Salinas, Calif.;

* the Snappy variety of lettuce, developed by Growers Management, Inc, Roth Farms, Inc., and TKM Farms, Inc., Belle Grade, Fl.;

* the Jupiter* variety of rice, developed by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Rayne, La.; and

* the 0235908, 0164851, 0221524, 0152167, AG4702, AG5602, AG2501, AG5001, SN79794, SN64195, SN70025, 0208463, 0212930, 0275934, 0384279, 0044483, 0211948, 0236101, 0132963, 0361380, 0013744, and 0090505 varieties of soybean, developed by Monsanto Technology LLC, Ankeny, Iowa.

In the United States, seed of this variety (1) shall be sold by variety name only as a class of certified seed and (2) shall conform to the number of generations specified by the owner of the rights (84 STAT. 1542, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2321 ET SEQ).