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Atlanta, IN | Monsanto comment is not strange if you realize there are two patents with most soybean seed from them, Pioneer and other big companies. 1st there is a patent on the RR1 gene which Monsanto owns and expires in 2014. 2nd there is a patent on the soybean variety which is owned by the breeder if they got it patented. If the variety is patented you can not save seed from that variety.
From what I understand about variety patents, if a variety is patented and you the patented owner knows of a patent violation, you must enforce your patent. That would mean even if you like "Joe the Farmer" and don't care if he saves seed, you still must enforce the patent. For a small breeding program without "in house" attorneys the cost of variety patents is costly but will have to be done. Plant variety protection will also be done to protect genetics.
How are you or anyone going to know looking at a sample of soybeans or a soybean field if it is RR1 or RR2? Without looking at the seed tag, seed brochure, bag or internet how are you going to tell if that variety is patented? My eyes are getting bad enough I can't read the RR1 or RR2 or patented numbers on each soybean grain!
We must realize the research and breeding in all crops in private industry must be funded somehow or someway. Today that funding is generated from the price of each bag of seed we purchase. The big gains in soybean yields started in the mid 1970's when private soybean varieties became the product of choice over public varieties. Do you think the federal government is going to step up and pay the bill to restore good breeding programs for all crops at public universities? There is a price we must pay for development of new genetics and/or traits. What that price is, how it is paid to developer and even how much that price is will ultimately be the farmers decision based on how and where he purchases seed. | |
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RR1 saved seed story
