A training course on the development of distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) testing guidelines for forest and grassland plants was held at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) from November 23-27. A total of 103 participants from 64 units nationwide registered for the training.

Prof. Yang Yongping, director of XTBG, and Wang Yonghai, chairman of the Innovation Alliance for Excellent New Plant Varieties of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, introduced the research achievements of XTBG in the field of germplasm resource cultivation and breeding, as well as the establishment goals and tasks of the Innovation Alliance respectively.

Two experts analyzed the current domestic and international status and future tasks of plant new variety protection and introduced the process and content of the forest and grassland plant new variety testing system, and dissected each key link in the entire process one by one.

The training course was concerned with such topics as key points in compiling the "Forest and Grass Plant DUS Testing Guide Template", standardization of trait descriptions, core technical points, determination of trait selection and expression states, construction and maintenance of known forest and grass plant variety databases, photography techniques for forest and grass plant DUS testing, image management, and shared case studies on ornamental plant testing guidelines.

In the practical operation session, the instructors used plants from the genera Bauhinia and Impatiens as examples.

DUS refers to the Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability of plant varieties. Distinctness requires that new varieties have significant traits that distinguish them from known varieties; uniformity emphasizes that the trait expressions among individuals within a new variety are consistent; stability focuses on the trait stability of new varieties over multiple generations of reproduction.

 DUS testing systematically evaluates the distinctness, uniformity, and stability of new varieties through planting experiments or indoor analysis and is the core technical basis for global plant variety management. 

Indoor studies.

Practical trining.

Participants pose a group photo.