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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Availability of grafting wood from government repositories

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  • From: Sarah Kehler Ewing <skkewing@yahoo.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Availability of grafting wood from government repositories
  • Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 15:35:46 -0700 (PDT)

Hi David,

I just heard about the change in policy from an email forwarded by a friend
told she wasn't getting anything this year! I'm completely annoyed. I agree
that we should support the nurseries out there and I have/do, but most of the
stuff in Canada's clonal genebank isn't available anywhere else. For
instance, I bought a ton of rootstock last year so I could graft their entire
cherry plum collection. I have an entire box full of printed catalogues and
a long list of bookmarked nurseries, but I already have every cherry plum
commercially available. On the other hand, CCG has the entire greek alphabet
series and now they won't let me have them! Seriously, how many people in
Canada want cherry plum material? And I'm using Cherry plums just as an
example: I loaded up on pear rootstock too planning to graft some varieties
this spring, thankfully I grafted about 75 kinds apples last year.

Could you please send me the address (email or otherwise) where you
protested? I would like to add a letter of complaint too.

Do you have any information on what I would have to do to be recognized as a
"bona fide researcher or breeder" to get this exemption? I like to tell
people (a bit tongue in cheek) that I own/operate a 'husband funded private
research station' and plan to get into breeding red fleshed desert apples,
but I need the start-up materials to do that! If I could get an exemption,
I'd be happy to request materials for others!!!

Sarah
zone 3
Edmonton, AB


I have recently encountered an issue with the provision of grafting wood from
the Canadian
Germplasm Repository.  They have determined that I am neither a "bona fide
researcher nor
a breeder", and hence am not entitled to obtain grafting wood from the
Repository (the
equivalent of the National Plant Germplasm System in the States).  Obviously
this
determination applies to virtually all the Canadian NAFEX members, (other
than the staff of
the dwindling number of govt research stations and multinational agribusiness
employees.)  I
have registered my objection to this interpretation, which represents a
substantial change
from the practice to date.  But to bolster my argument I need information
from other
jurisdictions.  Am I correct in my belief that ordinary citizens of the US
can request material
from the various repositories maintained by the NPGS?  And that my cousins in
the UK can
get wood from Brogdale or Long Ashton? And so on for Holland, France, India,
etc.?  Note
that the issue here has nothing to do with disease transmission, quarantine,
prohibition of
importation of specfic material into specific states, etc.  Rather it hinges
specifically on the
perceived mandate of the Repository, which is restricted to "bona fide
researchers".  And
amateur growers are not, in their eyes.  (I note that the NPGS also state
that "Germplasm is
available in small quantities for research purposes"  ; obviously if my
belief that people
outside academic centres and government labs can nevertheless access
materials in the
States is correct, the crux of the issue hinges on the definition of a
"researcher". (I think
NAFEX members, and all the train of amateur fruit growers who preceded us
have done far
more legitimate real world research than all the white coated lab types.)



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