TystofteFonden carries out and coordinates the statutory variety testing of agricultural crops and amenity grasses, as well as the certification of propagating material of seed and cereal seed.
The statutory variety testing comprises mandatory testing of new varieties for inclusion on the National List, and optional testing for the purpose of obtaining plant variety rights.
TystofteFonden coordinates the daily administrative tasks relating to statutory variety testing, including the receipt of applications for variety list inclusion and plant variety protection, including case preparation steps such as cooperation with foreign countries regarding technical/professional cooperation, including the receipt and dispatch of reports, processing of name proposals, publication of ”Notices from the Plant Variety Board” and ”Descriptive Variety Lists”, as well as payment for delivered services.
Newly developed varieties are being investigated for their seternity, eStarted and sstability (DUS), where the varieties are compared with known varieties on the market to determine whether they are distinctly different from the known varieties, and also that the individual plants of the variety have a uniform phenotypic expression.
Furthermore, the varieties are examined in VCU testing to ensure that the new varieties have improved yield, cultivation and/or quality characteristics compared to previously approved varieties.
As of 1 July 2020, the then Danish Agricultural Agency under the Ministry of Environment and Food delegated the decision-making authority for the following to the Plant Variety Board:
- Inclusion on the National List
- Plant variety protection
- Certification of propagation material
TystofteFonden provides the secretariat for the Plant Variety Board.
Since 1 July 2020, TystofteFonden has been appointed to implement:
- DUS-testing – CPVO entrusted
- VCU-testing
- Control growing
- Official seed sampling
- Official field inspection
TystofteFonden thereby contributes new, better and clearly identifiable varieties, with high-quality propagating material for Danish agriculture and for export. TystofteFonden is the way to new varieties and seed.
Styrelsen for Grøn Arealomlægning og Vandmiljø, fører tilsyn med fondens opgavevaretagelse.
