Sesame

1. The Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Authority decides when, where and in what quantity and quality the seed material required for testing the variety is to be delivered. Applicants submitting material from a country other than India must make sure that all customs formalities are complied with. The minimum quantity of seed to be supplied by the applicant should be :

500 g (in one submission only)

2. The seed should meet the minimum requirements for germination capacity, moisture content and physical purity prescribed for certified seed in India. Especially for storage, which requires a higher standard, the applicant should state, the actual germination capacity which should be as high as possible. The seed supplied should be visibly healthy, not lacking in vigour or affected by any important pest or disease.

3. The seed material must not have undergone any treatment unless the competent authorities allow or request such treatment. If it has been treated, full details of the treatment must be given.

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III. Conduct of tests

1. The minimum duration of tests should normally be two independent similar growing seasons with reference to the ecosystem of the variety submitted for DUS test.

2. The test should normally be conducted at two test locations. If any important characteristic of the variety can not be seen at these places, the variety may be tested at an additional place.

3. The field tests should be carried out under conditions ensuring normal growth. The size of the plots should be such that plants or parts of plants may be removed for measurement and counting without prejudice to the observations which must be made up to the end of the growing period. Each test should include about 1000 plants, which should be divided among three replications. Separate plots for observation and for measurement can only be used if they have been subjected to similar environmental conditions.

Test plot design

Number of rows	:	10
Row length	:	5 m
Row to row distance	:	45 cm
Plant to plant distance	:	15 cm
Number of replications	:	3

4. Observations should not be recorded on plants in border rows.

5. Additional tests for special purpose may be established.

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IV.Methods and observations

1. The characteristics described in the Table of characteristics should be used for the testing of varieties for DUS.

2. For the assessment of distinctness and stability observations should be made on at least 30 plants or parts of 30 plants which should be divided among three replications (10 plants per replication)

3. For the assessment of uniformity of characteristics on the plot as a whole (visual assessment by a single observation of a group of plants or parts of plant), the number of aberrant plants or parts of plant should not exceed 10 in 1000.

4. For the assessment of colour characteristics, it is recommended that Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) colour chart should be used.

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V. Grouping of varieties

1. The collection of varieties to be grown should be divided into groups to facilitate the assessment of distinctness. Characteristics that are suitable for grouping purposes are those which are known from experience not to vary, or to vary only slightly, within a variety. Their various states of expression should be fairly evenly distributed through out the collection.

2. It is recommended that the competent authorities use the following characteristics for grouping varieties.

i. Time of flowering ( characteristic 1)

ii. Flower : petal colour (characteristic 2)

iii. Plant: height of main stem (characteristic 4)

iv. Capsule: locule number per capsule (characteristic 12)

v. Capsule: arrangement (characteristic 15)

vi. Seed: coat colour (characteristic 18)

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VI. Characteristics and symbols

1. To assess distinctness, uniformity and stability, the characteristics and their states as given in the Table of characteristics should be used.

2. Notes (1 to 9), for the purposes of electronic data processing, are given opposite the states of each characteristic.

3. Legend :

(*) Characteristics that should be used every growing period for the examinations of all varieties and should always be included in the description of the variety, except when the state of expression of a preceding characteristic or regional environmental conditions render this impossible.

(+) See Explanations on the Table of characteristics in Chapter VII.

4. The optimum stage of development of plant growth for the assessment of each characteristic is indicated in the sixth column of Table of characteristics.

5. Type of assessment of characteristics indicated in column seven of Table of characteristics is as follows :

MG : Measurement by a single observation of a group of plants or parts of plants

MS : Measurement of a number of individual plants or parts of plants

VG : Visual assessment by a single observation of a group of plants or parts of plants

VS : Visual assessment by observation of individual plants or parts of plants

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VII.Table of characteristics

S. No.	Characteristics	States	Note	Example varieties	Stage of observation stage	Type of assessment
1.	Time of flowering(50% of the plants with at least one open flower)	early medium late	3 5 7	RT 125 JCS 94 Rajeshwari	flowering	VG
2. (*)	Flower: petal colour	white light purple dark purple	1 2 3		flowering	VG
3. (*)	Flower: petal hairiness	absent sparse dense	1 3 7	JCS 94 Rajeshwari	flowering	VS
4. (*)	Plant: height of main stem	short (<75 cm) medium(75-125 cm) long (>125 cm)	3 5 7	JTS 8 N 32 Rajeshwari	completion of flowering	MS
5.	Plant: branching	absent few(1-2) medium(3-4) many (>4)	1 3 5 7	N 32 JCS 94 RT 125 RT 46	completion of flowering	VS
6. (*)	Plant : branching pattern	basal top	1 2		completion of flowering	VS
7. (*)	Stem: hairiness	absent sparse dense	1 3 7	Rajeshwari	completion of flowering	VS
8. (+)	Leaf: Lobes	slightlylobed deeply lobed	1 2	N 32 Rajeshwari	completion of flowering	VG
9 (*) (+)	Leaf: size	small medium large	3 5 7	Gouri TKG 22 Rajeshwari	completion of flowering	VG
10.	Leaf: serration of margin	week strong	1 2	TKG 21	completion of flowering	VG
11. (*)	Capsule: hairiness	absent sparse dense	1 3 7	T 78 JCS 94 Sekhar	green capsule	VS
12. (*)	Capsule: locule number per capsule	four six eight	1 2 3		green capsule	VS
13. (*) (+)	Capsule: shape	tapered narrow oblong broad oblong square	1 2 3 4		harvest maturity	VG
14.	Capsule: number per leaf axil	one more than one	1 2	Thilak G Til 1	harvest maturity	VS
15. (*)	Capsule: arrangement	alternate opposite cluster	1 2 3	N 32 G Til 1	harvest maturity	VG
16.	Capsule: length	short (<1.6cm medium(1.6-2.5cm) long (>2.5cm)	3 5 7		harvest maturity	MS
17.	Time of maturity	early (<76 days) medium(76-85 days) late (>85 days)	3 5 7	RT 125 Sweta Til Rajeshwari	maturity	VG
18. (*)	Seed: coat colour	white light brown dark brown grey black	1 2 3 4 5	TKG 21 Uma Thilak Krishna	post harvest	VG
19.	Seed: 1000 seed weight	low (<2.6 g) medium(2.6-3.0 g) high (>3.0 g)	3 5 7		post harvest	M
20.	Oil: content (by NMR method)	low (<46 %) medium(46-50%) high (>50)	3 5 7		post harvest	M

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VIII. Explanations on the table of characteristics

Characteristic 8. Leaf: lobes


1.slightly lobed	2.deeply lobed

Characteristic 9. Leaf: size


7.very large	3.small	5.large

Characteristic 13. Capsule : shape


1.tapered	2. narrow oblong	3. broad oblong	4. squre

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IX. Technical Questionnaire

				Reference Number (not to be filled in by the applicant)

Technical questionnaire to be completed in connection with an application for plant breeders' rights
1. Species: Sesamum indicum L. Sesame
2. Applicant (Name and address) :
3. Proposed denomination or breeder's reference
4. Information on origin, maintenance and reproduction of the variety 4.1 Generic origin and breeding methods 4.2 Other informations
5. Characteristics of the variety to be indicated (the number in brackets refers to the corresponding characteristic in Test Guidelines; please mark the state of expression which best corresponds).
S.No.	Characteristics		States		Example varieties		Notes
1 (1)	Time of flowering (50% of the plants with at least one open flower)		early medium late		RT 125 JCS 94 Rajeshwari		3 [ ] 5 [ ] 7 [ ]
2 (2)	Flower : petal Color		white light purple dark purple				1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ]
3 (3)	Flower: petal hairiness		absent sparse dense		JCS 94 Rajeshwari		1[ ] 3[ ] 7[ ]
4. (4)	Plant : height of main stem		short (<75cm) medium(75-125cm) long(>125cm)		JTS 8 N 32 Rajeshwari		3[ ] 5[ ] 7[ ]
5. (7)	Stem: hairiness		absent sparse dense		Rajeshwari		1 [ ] 3 [ ] 7 [ ]
6. (11)	Capsule: hairiness		absent sparse dense		T 78 JCS 94 Sekhar		1 [ ] 3 [ ] 7 [ ]
7. (12)	Capsule: locule number per capsule		four six eight				1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ]
8. (15)	Capsule: arrangement		alternate opposite cluster		N 32 G Till 1		1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ]
9. (18)	Seed coat colour		white light brown dark brown grey black		TKG 21 Uma Thilak Krishna		1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5 [ ]
6. Similar varieties and differences from these varieties
Denomination of Similar variety		Characteristic in which the similar variety is different ⁰⁾		State of expression of similar Variety		State of expression of candidate variety

⁰⁾In the case of identical states of expressions of both varieties, please indicate the size of the difference.
7. Additional information which may help to distinguish the variety 7.1 Resistance to pests and diseases 7.2 Special conditions for the examination of the variety 7.3 Other information
8. Authorization for release (a) Does the variety require prior authorization for release under legislation concerning the protection of the environment, human and animal health? Yes { } No { } (b) Has such authorization been obtained? Yes { } No { } If the answer to that question is ‘Yes’, please attach a copy of such an authorization

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