Citrus new cultivar protection, extension and commercialization practices in China

Citrus is the most important fruit crop in the southern part of China.
Before 2016, there was no new cultivar registration system for non-staple crops, including citrus, at national or provincial levels in China.
Since 2017, a new system for non-staple crops, i.e., new cultivar registration system, replaced the old one, with 89 citrus new cultivars already registered.
For Plant Variety Protection (PVP) or Plant Breeder’s Right (PBR), China issued the PVP regulations in 1997, joined the UPOV in 1999 and started to accept PVP applications in 1999. Since 2004, 290 citrus PVP applications have been submitted, with 93 already patented, among which 58 were bred and patented by universities or research institutes, 25 by companies, eight by individuals and two by public institutes.
For new cultivars commercialization, there are mainly three systems.
The first one is the China Agricultural Research System (CARS) for citrus since 2007, and this is for non-profit citrus breeding and extension; the second one is non-profit extension by local government, they get licensed to extend patented or registered new cultivars, for free plantation by local citrus farmers and enterprises; the third one is for profit making by companies or individuals, they license propagation and extension of their patented new cultivars to citrus local authorities, or get licensed to propagate and extend patented new cultivars bred by universities or research institutes.
Several typical examples will be presented.

XV International Citrus Congress

Wen-Wu Guo, Li Cao, Ju-Xun Wu, Kai-Dong Xie, Xiu-Xin Deng

citrus, new cultivar, protection policy, commercialization mode

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1448.99