Rules on nomenclature for agricultural botanical varieties are issued to regulate China’s corporeal seed market order
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has published today the Rules on Nomenclature for Agricultural Botanical Varieties (MOA Order No 2-2012) in order to strengthen the naming management and maintain a sound market order for China’s corporeal seeds. The regulation is going to come into effect from 15 April 2012.
Consisting of 20 articles, the Rules mainly explicate the following aspects:
Applicable scope
The Rules apply to the application for the examination and approval of agricultural botanical variety, new variety right and the nomenclature for varieties of transgenic plants safety evaluation.
Uniqueness in the naming
The Rules indicate that one agricultural botanical variety must be aligned with one unique name, whatever it is during the application for the examination and approval of the variety, the preservation of new variety, the safety evaluation on biological transgenosis, or its entering the production or distribution chain.
Requirements for the naming
The Rules prohibit nomenclature composed only of numbers and/or English characters, or misleading, exaggerated method of naming.
Establishment of a dissemination system
The Rules has established a system of dissemination for any exercise of application for the examination and approval of agricultural botanical variety, new variety right and the nomenclature for varieties of transgenic plants safety evaluation. As to varieties examined and approved at the provincial level, public consultation (for 15 working days) and dissemination still prevail at the MOA.
Establishment of a search and retrieval system
Article 4 of the Rules specifies that the MOA should build up a search system for the nomenclature, review and enquiry of agricultural plants.
