8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

1/7

Minutes of the First Consultative Meeting of Protection of Plant Varieties and

Farmers Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) held at CIMAP, Lucknow on 17-18

December 2005

The First Consultative Meeting on DUS for Medicinal, Aromatic and Seed SpicePlants under PVP & FRA was held at CIMAP, Lucknow on 17-18 December 2005 to

discuss DUS and related issues on these speciality plants in which following persons

participated.

1. Dr. S. Nagarajan, Chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers Rights

Authority, Government of India, Ministry of agriculture, DOA&C, NASC

Complex, DPS Marg, Todapur, New Delhi.

2. Dr. S.P.S. Khanuja, Director, CIMAP, Lucknow.

3. Dr. R.K. Chowdhury, Officer on Special Duty, Directorate of Seed Research, Seed

Science & Technology Building, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New

Delhi.

4. Mr. R.K. Gupta, Head, IPMD (CSIR), NISCAIR Building, 14, Satsang Vihar

Marg, New Delhi.

5. Dr. Satyabrata Maiti, Director, National Research Centre for Medicinal &

Aromatic Plants, Boriavi, Anand, Gujarat.6. Dr. B.B. Vashishtha, Director, National Research Centre on Seed Spices, Tabiji,

Ajmer, Rajasthan.

7. Shri Ranjit Puranik, Chief Executive Officer, Shree Dhootapapeshwar Limited,

135, Nanubhai Desai Road, Khetwadi, Mumbai.

8. Dr. G.S. Cheema, Assistant Plant Breeder, Department of Agronomy &

Agrometerology, PAU, Ludhiana.

9. Dr. Veena Gupta, Sr. Scientist, NBPGR, Pusa Campus, New Delhi.

10. Dr. O.P. Singh, Head, AINP, Department of Horticulture, NDUA&T, Faizabad.

11. Dr. Johnson George, Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut.

12. Dr. C.K. Venugopal, Asstt. Prof. of Horticulture, Univ. of Agricultural Sciences,

Dharwad, Karnataka.

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

2/7

13. Dr. Y.R. Sarma, Former Director, IISR, Araman, KSHB Colony, Malapramba,

Calicut.

14. Dr. P.J. Mathew, Head, Medicinal Plants Unit, TBGRI, Palode,

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

15. Dr. Mohd. Aslam, Additional Director, (Scientist-E), DBT, New Delhi.

16. Dr. S.P. Singh, Scientist-in-Charge, CIMAP Resource Centre, Pantanagar.

17. Dr. R.R. Rao, Emeritus Scientist, CIMAP Resource Centre, Bangalore.

18. Dr. O.P. Dhawan, Head, PME & IP Cell, CIMAP, Lucknow.

19. Dr. A.K. Singh, Head, TBD, CIMAP, Lucknow.

20. Dr. A.K. Shasany, Scientist, GRB, CIMAP, Lucknow.

21. Dr. A.K. Gupta, Scientist, GRB, CIMAP, Lucknow.

22. Dr. R.K. Lal, Scientist, CIMAP, Lucknow.

23. Dr. A.K. Kukreja, Head, Plant Tissue Culture (PTC), CIMAP, Lucknow.

24. Dr. A.K. Mathur, Scientist, PTC, CIMAP, Lucknow.

25. Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Scientist-F, Genetics & Plant Breeding, CIMAP,

Lucknow.

Day 1 (17.12.2005)

At the outset on 17.12.05 Dr. S.P.S. Khanuja, Director, CIMAP welcomed all the

participants and set agenda of the meeting elaborating the issues to be addressed during

the meeting specifically about the immediate tasks, future implications of the bill and the

road map ahead. He emphasised on the need to go for clearly defining guidelines for

DUS testing in specialty crops like medicinal, aromatic and seed spice plants being

different in desirable and marker traits as the guidelines for field crops have been already

framed. He highlighted the necessity to document all existing varieties in these crops so

that current status of commercially grown crops is known for prioritizing these crops in a

phase wise manner. Sites for conducting DUS testing of different priority crops should

also be selected alongwith defining the descriptors. Database of the inventories has to be

prepared and there should also be discussion for registration system, farmers rights,

breeders issues, propagation and multiplication of the materials and industrys

perspective in the whole issue. He sought inputs from all the participants in this regard.

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

3/7

Dr. R.K. Chaudhary, OSD, DSR, IARI New Delhi informed about the status of DUS

testing initiated by ICAR in view of the PVP&FRA. He told that authority with 15

members has been formed by Government of India under Ministry of Agriculture,

Department of Agriculture and Culture with Dr. S. Nagarajan as its Chairperson. He also

informed that network project worth Rs. 27 crores has been formed involving him (Dr.

R.K. Chaudhary) as Coordinator of the DUS programme. He informed that new

guidelines for DUS testing have been in place for 35 major crops (25 field crops and 8

vegetable crops) where specific characters and centres for undertaking testing have been

finalized. These guidelines called National Test Guidelines have been prepared by

ICAR on the basis of UPOV guidelines. The whole process of DUS testing requires.

1. Guidelines

2. Database of extant/notified varieties

3. Selection of DUS test centres

4. Pure seed of extant/notified varieties and their safe storage

5. Software for database/analysis (with security levels)

6. Awareness and capacity building

The network project on the requirements was submitted to authority and got approved.

For monitoring of DUS testing we need the list of available varieties, selection of test

centres for laying out trials and selection of project coordinators. Seed of the varieties to

be tested has to be deposited with NBPGR. DUS centers have to be selected on the basis

of testing capability and required agroclimate for that crop. He also stressed that concern

of PVP&FRA is in commercial varieties and materials only.

Dr. RK Gupta, Head, IPMD, (CSIR), New Delhi said that PVP&FRA in India is much

wider than USPTO etc. He stressed that implementation aspects are very important in

medicinal, aromatic and seed spice plants which should be framed by a group consisting

of CIMAP, NRCMAP, NRCSS, IPMD and PVP&FRA.

Dr. S, Maity, Director, NRCMAP, Anand presented the list of plants in which their center

has been working like ashwagandha, aloe, guggal, liquorice, lemongrass, palmarosa,

senna, safed musli, Mentha, isabgol and Andrographis.

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

4/7

Dr. Vashisth, Director, NRCSS, Ajmar listed 20 priority seed spice plants of India like

coriander, ajwain, cumin, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, celery and anise etc.

Dr. Sarma, Former Director, IISR, Calicut listed priority plants of IISR like black pepper,

ginger, cardamom, turmeric, large cardamom etc.

Sh. Ranjeet Puranik, CEO, Shree Dhootpapeshwar Limited, Mumbai, suggested that

monographs of different plants in Indian Pharmacoepia should be prepared.

Dr. M. Aslam, Additional Director, DBT, New Delhi told that concept of varieties in

MAPs is evolving and chemical characteristics with morphotypes are most important in

this case. He suggested that DBT and PVP&FRA may collaborate in training and

awareness building in this case.

Other members like Dr. G.S. Cheema (PAU, Ludhiana), Dr. P.J. Mathur (TBGRI), Dr.

RR Rao (CIMAP, CRC, Bangalore), Dr. Veena Gupta (NBPGR), Dr. C.K. Venugopal

(UAS, Dharwad), Dr. A.K. Singh and Dr. O.P. Dhawan (CIMAP) also put forth their

views and the type of work going on in their organizations in this regard.

After going through the presentations followed by discussion Dr. S.P.S. Khanuja

suggested that the initial list for prioritization of crops should be at the first instance

prepared and proposed on the second day of the Meeting by Dr. Vashisth and Dr. Sarma

for spices and by Drs. Maity and OP Dhawan for medicinal & aromatic plants by taking

inputs from all participants.

Day 2 (18.12.2005)

Dr. SPS Kahnuja summarized the first days deliberations and requested Dr. Nagarajan to

give his views providing guidelines for follow up.

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

5/7

Dr. S. Nagarajan, Chairperson, PVP&FRA, DOA&C, New Delhi stressed that DUS basis

for registration of new varieties for MAPs & seed spices should be morphological as well

as chemical for ascertaining distinctiveness. Though DUS testing may be mainly for

morphological traits, it may be supplemented by chemical and molecular traits. The

registered varieties have to be notified in the Indian Journal of Plant Variety Authority

which acts as official journal for registering varieties. The journal has to support Gazette

for methodology of plant variety protection and DUS testing etc. The journal will be

available on website which is being designed by a taskforce. He desired that CIMAP

should act as a referral laboratory for MAPs. Gene Bank of plant varieties has been set up

at NBPGR which will act as National Plant Variety Gene Bank. Computerized data base

has to be prepared covering DUS characteristics, pictures, digital herbarium, chemotypic

traits for all the plants. National Plant Variety Registration Authority is presently covering

12 field crops. MAPs are to be taken up for DUS testing by 2008. Indigenous knowledge

should be an important criteria and we have to prioritize the crops for DUS testing

accordingly. Coordinators will have to prepare dummy characters for which 15-20

characters of each crop are to be identified. Expert groups will be required to make

general and specific guidelines for each crop. Material submitted for registration of the

varieties have to be pure. He also stressed that CIMAP should coordinate for medicinal

and aromatic crops. Dr. Nagarajan suggested that the referral labs for MAPs may be

CIMAP and NRCMAP. Plant Variety Garden of live specimens other than seed crops

should be maintained at NBPGR. Record keeping of DUS data has to be as per law. He

told that Dr. RK Choudhary is acting as Financial Adviser and all centers may prepare

core plan and contingency budget. In the interactive session Sh. R. Puranik suggested that

material transfer agreement (MTA) should be made by CIMAP for MAPs which should

become guideline for all others to follow for transfer of materials. It was also deliberated

that DBT should complement funding of scientific part of the DUS exercise. It was also

deliberated that next meeting should be held at NRCMAP, Anand in February, 2006 and

there should be observers from DST, DBT, Unani, Siddha, NMPB etc. Projects should

also be formulated by February, 2006.

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

6/7

Thereafter the list of plants prepared by working groups on first day was placed for

discussion and the following crops of MAPs and seed spices along with their DUS test

centers and coordinating laboratories were unanimously finalized after deliberation of all

the members in the meeting.

List of prioritized plants alongwith the coordinating laboratories and

proposed DUS testing centres

Medicinal Plants: Coordinator - CIMAP

1. Bacopa monnieri CIMAP, Lucknow & its Resource Centre, Pantnagar &

TBGRI, Palode, Kerala

2. Plantago ovata NRCMAP, Anand & MPUAT, Udaipur

3. Withania somnifera JNKVV, Mandsaur, NRCMAP

4. Catharanthus roseus CIMAP Resource Centre, Bangalore & HAU, Hissar

5. Aloe vera NRCMAP, Anand, & MPUAT, Udaipur

6. Papaver somniferum CIMAP, Lucknow, NBRI, Lucknow & NDUAT,

Faizabad

7. Andrographis paniculata - CIMAP, Lucknow, TBGRI, Palode, Kerala &

NRCMAP, Anand

8. Rouvolfia serpentina CIMAP, Lucknow and Resource Centre, Pantnagar &

TBGRI, Palode, Kerala

9. Cassia angustifolia NRCMAP, Anand, CIMAP, Lucknow and resource

Centre, Hyderabad, TNAU, Coimbatore

Aromatic Plants: Coordinator - CIMAP

1. Mentha arvensis CIMAP, Lucknow& Pantnagar & PAU, Ludhiana

2. Pelargonium graveolens CIMAP, Lucknow & Resource Centre, Purara

(Bageshwar) & IIHR, Bangalore

3. Rosa damascena CIMAP Resource Centre, Purara & IHBT, Palampur

8/14/2019 cimap_lucknow

7/7

4. Cymbopogon winterianus CIMAP, RRL, Jorhat, JNKVV, Indore & KAU, Odakkali

5. Cymbopogon flexuosus CIMAP, Hyderabad, RRL, Jammu & KAU, Odakkali

6. Cymbopogon martini CIMAP & RRL, Bhubaneshwar

Seed spices: Coordinator- NRCSS

1. Coriander RAU Jobner & TNAU, NRCSS, Ajmar

2. Cumin DAU, Jagudan & NRCSS, Ajmar

3. Fennel NDAUT, Faizabad & CIMAP, Lucknow, HAU, Hissar

4. Fenugreek APAU, Guntur & NRCSS, TNAU

5. Dill NRCSS & APAU, Guntur

6. Ajowain CIMAP, Lucknow, NRCSS, DAU, Jagudan

7. Celery PAU, Ludhiana & NRCSS, Ajmar

Tasks & milestones

Referral Lab CIMAP & NRCMAP

Gene Bank & Data Base NBPGR

Plant Variety Botanical Garden NBPGR

DUS Trainings NRCMAP by mid Feb. 2006

Referral Lab training CIMAP by second week of March, 2006 (tentative)

Projects to be submitted By Feb., 2006

Budget estimates to be submitted as per work plan

The meeting ended with the vote of thanks to the chair.