The ‘Systems Approach’ to Bringing Plant Materials to Market
By applying our unique “Systems Aproach,” Georgia Seed Development works closely with three other agencies to streamline the marketing and management of plant and foundation seed materials. In today’s climate of constant change, our knowledgeable experts provide vital information and access to cultivars offering higher yields, greater disease-resistance and better overall performance.
GSD; the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc. (UGARF); the plant breeders on the staff of the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG); and the Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA) all play important roles in this method of plant development and marketing. Our Systems Approach integrates plant breeding research, intellectual property protection, quality control and marketing to customers in Georgia and across the globe.
By working together, these four entities advance the knowledge of plant genetics, address anti-piracy issues and ensure the very best varieties are available to satisfy increasing global demand for crop output.
Here is how the “Systems Approach” works:
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UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG) was approved by the Georgia Board of Regents in 2008 and includes 19 plant breeders located on UGA campuses at Athens, Griffin and Tifton. This interdisciplinary group of scientists creates new varieties of turfgrasses, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, pecans, vegetables, blueberries, forage grasses and ornamentals. These scientists also educate and train our next generation of plant breeders, making our organization one of the largest and strongest plant breeding programs in the world.
- The University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc. (UGARF) was established as a 501(c) (3) organization in 1978. Located on the UGA Athens campus, UGARF owns the intellectual property developed by all UGA employees. It is responsible for licensing and protecting intellectual property and for managing UGA-CAES-developed plant materials licensed to seed companies, nurseries and other interested parties.
- The Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA) was established in 1946 to provide a quality assurance program that maintains the varietal quality and purity for certain UGARF-licensed varieties. Operating as 501(c) (3) organization, GCIA is located in Athens.
- Georgia Seed Development was created in 1959 by the Georgia General Assembly to produce Foundation seed and plant stock from improved plant varieties developed by scientists at UGA-CAES and provide the seed and sprigs for commercial use. GSD is headquartered in Athens and operates a peanut seed facility in Plains. It also offers its services to plant breeding operations in other states.