Tag Archives: Plant Variety Rights

Admission Approval / 准入审批, Patent / 专利

Plant Variety Protection: Three Rules in Force and What They Change for Breeding in China

  • Three departmental rules on plant variety protection take effect on 1 November 2026, covering the protected list, the implementing rules and the review committee.
    三件植物新品种保护配套规章于 2026 年 11 月 1 日同步施行，分别涉及保护名录、实施细则与复审委员会。
  • Plant Variety Rights now reach 308 agricultural genera and species after the twelfth batch added 117, including the sorghum genus, rye, durum wheat and Chinese chive.
    第十二批名录新增 117 个属种后，农业植物品种权保护范围扩至 308 个属种，其中包括高粱属、黑麦、硬粒小麦与香葱。
  • The implementing rules set out the steps for Essentially Derived Varieties in stages, so commercialising a modified form of a protected variety requires authorisation.
    实施细则明确了实质性派生品种制度的分步实施步骤，改良他人受保护品种后商业化需取得授权。
  • DUS Testing management and new material requirements for bio-breeding applications are added, which changes the preparation cycle and cost of a filing.
    新增 DUS 测试管理与生物育种申请材料要求，申请文件的准备周期与成本随之变化。
  • Employee Breeding now explicitly covers breeding completed within three years after retirement or transfer where it relates to the former work.
    职务育种明确涵盖退休、调离后三年内完成的与原工作有关的育种成果。
  • The review committee grows from 30 members to between 60 and 70, and its term from three years to five, widening the appeal route after a refusal.
    复审委员会由 30 名扩至 60 至 70 名，任期由三年改为五年，驳回后的救济通道因此更宽。
  • Foreign investment in seed breeding remains subject to the negative list; these rules change intellectual property protection, not market access.
    外资进入种业仍受外商投资准入负面清单约束；本轮规章改变的是知识产权保护，不是市场准入。

Plant Variety Protection: Three Rules in Force and What They Change for Breeding in China | 植物新品种保护：三项规章施行，在华育种业务改变什么

Overview

On 1 November 2026, three departmental rules of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs took effect together: Order No. 1 of 2026 on the twelfth batch of the protected list, Order No. 2 of 2026 on the implementing rules of the Regulations on the Protection of New Plant Varieties (agricultural part), and Order No. 3 of 2026 on the review committee’s adjudication rules.

Order No. 1 was adopted at the ministry’s first executive meeting of 2026 on 28 August 2026 and promulgated by Minister Zhang Zhu on 15 September 2026. Because all three apply from the same date, one breeding programme may be touched by the list, the examination rules and the appeal procedure at once.

This refines an existing regime rather than opening a market. The Seed Law was amended in 2021, widening protection and introducing the essentially derived variety system; the State Council revised the Regulations in 2025, tightening grant conditions, extending the term and arranging phased implementation. The three rules are the operational layer beneath both.

What the implementing rules change

The official reading of Order No. 2 identifies three points.

First, it sets out the concrete steps for implementing the essentially derived variety system in stages. The concept is not new; the sequence in which it applies is what practitioners have awaited. Commercial exploitation of an essentially derived variety of a protected variety requires authorisation from the original holder.

Second, it adds DUS testing management. Distinctness, uniformity and stability testing is the technical core of any grant, and placing it in the rules raises the documentation standard.

Third, it adds material requirements for bio-breeding applications. Applicants using modern techniques should expect closer scrutiny of how the breeding process and starting material are described.

The rules also tighten grant conditions, improve examination and strengthen supervision.

The scope of protection

The scope covers new varieties of grain, cotton, oil crops, fibre crops, sugar crops, vegetables including watermelon and melon, tobacco, mulberry, tea, fruit trees other than dried fruit, ornamental plants other than woody plants, grasses, green manure, herbaceous medicinal plants, edible fungi, algae and rubber trees. A genus outside that list cannot be protected by a variety right, whatever its commercial value.

The twelfth batch

Order No. 1 adds 117 agricultural genera and species, taking the total to 308. The additions include ramie, chickpea, jute, rye, the sorghum genus, the triticale genus, durum wheat, Chinese chive including bunching onion, winter squash, water chestnut and arrowhead.

Genera outside the list can now be the subject of an application. A programme that shelved a variety because it could not be protected should revisit that decision against the new list, not against memory.

Employee breeding and the three-year lookback

The rules define employee breeding as breeding completed in the employee’s own duties, in performing a task assigned by the employer, or within three years after retirement or transfer where it relates to the former work.

The third limb catches companies out. A breeder who leaves in March and files the following year may still be producing employee breeding, and the right may belong to the former employer. Contracts covering ownership only during employment are incomplete; confidentiality, material-return and disclosure duties need to run for the same three years.

The review committee

Order No. 3 expands the review committee from 30 members to between 60 and 70 and extends the term from three years to five. It also sets out the procedure for refusals, declarations of invalidity and changes of name.

A larger committee serving longer promises no particular outcome, but the route after a refusal is better resourced and more predictable. Applicants who treated a refusal as final should reconsider.

The boundary that has not moved

None of this changes who may invest in seed breeding in China. Foreign investment in the sector remains subject to the Special Administrative Measures for Foreign Investment Access, the negative list. The rules concern intellectual property in varieties, not permission to hold or operate a breeding business.

That distinction matters internally. A joint venture reading the new rules as an opening will misjudge its approval path; one reading them as a shield for its germplasm will plan correctly.

Practical steps

  • Map every variety in the pipeline against the twelfth batch and identify those previously unprotectable.
  • Screen each candidate for essentially derived status: does it depend on a protected variety, and is authorisation in place?
  • Build DUS testing into the development calendar rather than treating it as a final step.
  • For bio-breeding applications, prepare breeding-process and material documentation in advance.
  • Rewrite breeder contracts to cover the three years after departure, with material-return and disclosure clauses.
  • Diarise refusals and appeal windows against the new committee procedure.
  • Consider variety rights alongside patents, trademarks and trade secrets for the same germplasm.

Outlook

The regime moves toward stronger protection delivered through more technical examination. Filing costs rise, and so does the value of a granted right. The competitive question shifts from whether a variety can be protected to whether the chain of derivation can be documented.

Sources

  • 农业农村部·农业农村部令 2026 年第 1 号《中华人民共和国农业植物品种保护名录（第十二批）》全文：https://nyncw.cq.gov.cn/ztzl_161/rdzt/xczx/zcwj_249776/bw_257461/202611/t20261105_16361210.html
  • 农业农村部法规司、种业管理司负责人就三项规章答问：https://www.baoan.gov.cn/bajjcj/gkmlpt/content/13/13057/post_13057320.html
  • 农业农村部·规章库（第 1/2/3 号令集中发布）：https://www.moa.gov.cn/gk/nyncbgzk/
  • 中国政府网·《中华人民共和国植物新品种保护条例实施细则（农业部分）》全文（农业农村部令 2026 年第 2 号）：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202610/content_7082787.htm

植物新品种保护：三项规章施行，在华育种业务改变什么

概述

2026 年 11 月 1 日，农业农村部三件规章同日施行：农业农村部令 2026 年第 1 号《中华人民共和国农业植物品种保护名录（第十二批）》、第 2 号《中华人民共和国植物新品种保护条例实施细则（农业部分）》、第 3 号《农业农村部植物新品种复审委员会审理规定》。

第 1 号令经 2026 年 8 月 28 日农业农村部第 1 次部务会议审议通过，由部长张柱于 2026 年 9 月 15 日发布。三件规章自同一日起适用，意味着一项育种计划现在可能同时被名录、审查规则与复审程序三方面触及。

这是对既有制度的细化，不是开放市场的举措。2021 年全国人大常委会修改种子法，扩展保护范围与保护环节、加大侵权处罚力度、建立实质性派生品种制度；2025 年国务院修订《植物新品种保护条例》，严格授权条件、优化申请授权程序、延长品种权保护期限、细化实质性派生品种制度的分步实施安排、加大侵权惩处力度。三件规章是这两部上位法之下的操作层。

读这三件规章时，有一点需要先分清：名录解决”哪些属种可以申请”，实施细则解决”按什么标准审”，复审规定解决”被驳回之后怎么救济”。三者叠加，才构成一次完整的制度变化；只看其中一件，容易高估或低估影响。

实施细则改变了什么

官方对第 2 号令的解读归纳为三点。

第一，细化实质性派生品种制度分步实施的具体步骤。概念本身不是新的，实务界等待的是它在不同情形下按什么顺序适用。当一个品种是某受保护品种的实质性派生品种时，其商业化利用需要取得原始品种权人的授权。

第二，新增 DUS 测试管理。特异性、一致性、稳定性测试是任何一次授权的技术核心，把这项管理写进规章，意味着申请人需要提供的记录材料标准提高了。

第三，新增生物育种品种权申请材料要求。使用现代育种技术的申请人，应当预期育种过程与原始材料的说明会比以往受到更细致的审查。

除这三点之外，规章同时严格授权条件、完善审查程序、强化监管。三项改动指向同一个方向：授权更审慎，材料更可核查。

三者之间不是并列关系，而是按申请流程排列：分步实施决定派生品种规则什么时候落到具体品种上，DUS 测试决定申请能不能通过，生物育种材料要求决定申请要交什么。按流程顺序读，比按条文顺序读更容易落到排期上。

保护范围

实施细则把保护范围表述为：粮食、棉花、油料、麻类、糖料、蔬菜（含西甜瓜）、烟草、桑树、茶树、果树（干果除外）、观赏植物（木本除外）、草类、绿肥、草本药材、食用菌、藻类和橡胶树等植物的新品种。

这份清单本身就是一道边界。不在清单之内的属种，无论商业价值多高，都无法取得品种权保护，唯一的路径是等待名录再增加批次。清单里两处括号也需要留意：”果树（干果除外）””观赏植物（木本除外）”，说明并非所有果树与观赏植物都在保护范围内。

实务中常见的误判，是把”在名录内”与”能授权”混为一谈。名录只是入口，能否授权还要看特异性、一致性、稳定性，以及是否属于职务育种、是否存在派生关系。

第十二批名录

第 1 号令新增 117 个农业植物属种，农业植物保护属种范围扩至 308 个。新增的属种包括罗布麻、鹰嘴豆、黄麻、黑麦、高粱属、小黑麦属、硬粒小麦、香葱（含分葱）、笋瓜（印度南瓜）、荸荠、慈姑等。

实务意义不宽，但很实在。过去落在名录之外的属种，现在可以成为申请对象。曾因无法保护而搁置某个品种的育种计划，应当对照新名录重新评估，而不是凭记忆判断。

对以加工或贸易为主的企业，这条变化同样有含义：上游供应商如果开始为某个属种申请品种权，采购合同里关于种源使用范围的约定就需要重写，否则”买了种子就能随意扩繁”的旧习惯会带来侵权风险。

另一个容易忽略的点是时间。新增属种进入名录，不等于相关品种立刻具备申请条件；育种材料的性状稳定性与测试安排仍需按实施细则准备。把名录当成”可以马上递交”的信号，往往会在测试环节返工。

职务育种与三年回溯

规章把职务育种界定为三类：在本职工作中完成的育种；履行单位交付任务完成的育种；退休、调离后三年内完成的与原工作有关的育种。

第三类容易让企业失手。一名育种人员三月离职、次年提交申请，仍可能构成职务育种，权利可能归原单位。只在在职期间约定成果归属的合同是不完整的；保密义务、材料返还义务与离职后的披露义务，至少要与同样的三年期间匹配。

实务中还有一层连带影响：交接环节。种质材料、试验记录、田间数据在人员离职时如果没有清点留档，日后主张权利时会缺少证据。三年回溯条款考验的不是合同文本，而是日常的记录管理。

从管理角度看，三年回溯把离职管理从人事问题变成了知识产权问题。研发岗位的交接清单里，除了设备与文档，还应当包括种质材料、试验编号与对外合作记录。

复审委员会

第 3 号令将复审委员会由 30 名扩至 60 至 70 名，任期由三年改为五年，并规范驳回申请复审、无效宣告与更名审理的全链条程序。

更大的委员会与更长的任期不构成对某种结果的承诺，但驳回之后的救济通道资源更充足、时限更可预期。此前把驳回视为终局的申请人，值得重新评估；把复审当作”再试一次”而非”重新论证”的做法，则不会因为委员会扩容而变得有效。

程序上的另一处变化是审理范围的完整化：驳回申请复审、无效宣告与更名三类事项被放进同一套程序规范，申请人对每一步的时限与材料可以更早预期，而不必逐案询问。

没有移动的边界

上述变化都不改变谁可以在中国投资种业。该领域的外商投资仍受《外商投资准入特别管理措施（负面清单）》约束。规章处理的是品种的知识产权保护，不是持有或经营育种业务的许可。

这一区分决定内部如何汇报。把新规读成准入开口的合资企业，会误判自己的审批路径；把它读成自有种质资源保护更厚的合资企业，规划才是对的。

换言之，负面清单决定”能不能做”，三件规章决定”做出来的成果归谁、被抄了怎么办”。两件事不能互相替代，也不能互相推导。

操作清单

  • 把在研品种清单与第十二批名录逐项比对，标出过去无法申请保护的部分。
  • 对每个候选品种做实质性派生筛查：是否依赖他人受保护品种，授权是否到位。
  • 把 DUS 测试排进研发日历，而不是当作最后的申报动作。
  • 生物育种申请，提前准备育种过程与材料说明文件。
  • 重写育种人员合同，覆盖离职后三年，并加入材料返还与披露条款。
  • 按新的复审程序，为驳回与复审时限建立日历提醒。
  • 同一份种质资源，把品种权与专利、商标、商业秘密组合考虑。

清单里最容易被跳过的是第二项。实质性派生判断依赖对他人品种的了解，而这项信息通常不在企业内部，需要专门检索与外部意见；等到申请阶段才发现派生关系，代价往往不是补交材料，而是重新设计品种。

清单本身也建议按主体拆开：研发、法务、人事各管一段，最后合并成一张表，比由单一部门统管更容易发现缺口。

展望

制度的方向是更强的保护，通过更技术的审查来实现。对育种业务而言，申请成本上升，授权权利的价值也随之上升。竞争问题从”这个品种能不能获得保护”，转向”派生链条能不能被完整记录”。

对准备在中国开展育种业务的境外企业，更现实的判断标准不是”保护变强了”，而是”自有品种在中国的权利链条能否闭合”：来源、派生、职务归属、测试记录，四项中缺一项，权利的实际价值就会打折。

来源

  • 农业农村部·农业农村部令 2026 年第 1 号《中华人民共和国农业植物品种保护名录（第十二批）》全文：https://nyncw.cq.gov.cn/ztzl_161/rdzt/xczx/zcwj_249776/bw_257461/202611/t20261105_16361210.html
  • 农业农村部法规司、种业管理司负责人就三项规章答问：https://www.baoan.gov.cn/bajjcj/gkmlpt/content/13/13057/post_13057320.html
  • 农业农村部·规章库（第 1/2/3 号令集中发布）：https://www.moa.gov.cn/gk/nyncbgzk/
  • 中国政府网·《中华人民共和国植物新品种保护条例实施细则（农业部分）》全文（农业农村部令 2026 年第 2 号）：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202610/content_7082787.htm