The Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act was enacted in 1970 to provide opportunity for breeders and developers on new plant varieties to re-coup development costs while encouraging new varieties.  The act also protects variety identity and purity. 

There are different types of variety protection.  A variety that is PVP Title V, such as Reeder spring wheat, cannot be sold by a producer to another producer unless it is certified seed. 

A PVP variety, can be sold as seed with the permission of the breeder.  An example is Scholar or Hank spring wheat.  Scholar is developed and owned by the Montana State University and Hank is owned by Western Plant Breeders.  A producer would need permission from the owner of the variety to sell the variety. 

An example of a variety with no PVP attached is McNeal.  There are no restrictions for selling the variety as seed. 

Varieties with PVP protection and PVP Title V protection can be grown from certified seed and saved by the grower to seed back on his own acres the next year.

Varieties that are protected and not protected have no restrictions when selling to the elevator.

To check if the variety you are growing or would like to grow is PVP protected check the PVP website at http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pvpo/pvpindex.htm or call Ron Larson with the Montana Seed Growers at 406-994-5121 or call our office at 406-787-5312