The California Crop Improvement Board of Directors must approve varieties for certification in California.   One or more of the following favorable actions can admit a variety to the Board for approval: 

1. National Certified Variety Review Board recommendation
2. Plant Variety Protection Office approval
3. Varieties eligible for certification under the O.E.C.D. Scheme
4. AOSCA Member Agency approval
5. Certification Technical Committee recommendation.

The Certification Technical Committee (CTC) is an advisory committee of CCIA charged with reviewing eligibility of varieties for certification, changing or developing new crop standards, and managing technical matters pertaining to seed certification. This committee will review varieties for distinctiveness and genetic stability according to the guidelines established by the AOSCA.  The committee is composed of representatives from CCIA, UCD Department of Plant Sciences, UCD Plant Pathology Department, UCD Foundation Seed Program, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  

The CTC meetings are scheduled one month prior to the winter, spring, and fall CCIA Board of Directors meetings (usually January, April, and August). Applications for new varieties to be reviewed by CTC are due 2 weeks before the meeting. Please check CCIA calendar for the exact dates.

Applicants and Breeders wishing to submit an “Applications for Variety Certification” for one of these meetings must do so by the 15^th day of the previous month.  

Download the “Application for Variety Certification” PDF form. Applications require the following information to be provided about a variety

1. The name of the variety.

2. A statement concerning the varieties origin and breeding history.

3. Botanical and Objective description of the variety. *

4. Evidence supporting identity of the variety and any statements or claims made concerning its performance characteristics.

5. Area of adaptation and primary use of the variety.

6. Procedure for maintaining stock seed classes, and number of generations variety may be multiplied.

7. Description of how variety is to be constituted if a particular cycle of reproduction or multiplication is required.

8. Restrictions with respect to geographic area of seed production, age of stand or other factors affecting genetic purity.

9. Sample of the seed.

10. Information to assist field inspectors, including expected variability (kind and frequency) and prominent identifying characteristics of both plants and seed. 

*Other forms such as PVP, Exhibit C may be used to fulfill this requirement.  http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pvpo/forms/exhibitC.htm

Please contact Robert Stewart 530-752-9826 for further information.

Plant Variety Protection Office Forms http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pvpo/Forms/forms.htm

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