Catalogue description Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division: Registered Files, Plant Variety Classification Index (AFC Series)

The Plant Variety Rights Office was established by the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964. The Index of Names of Plant Varieties was an official list of names of distinct plant varieties, the seed of which was used commercially in the UK, and was prepared and operated under provisions contained in the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964 by the three agricultural departments in the UK. Its general purpose was to eliminate synonyms and homonyms and to ensure the named varieties of seed which was offered to growers were distinct and possessed known characteristics which were the same from year to year. Applications for inclusion in the index involved a system of performance trials carried out at the applicants' expense and normally lasting for two years if there was a doubt whether two or more varieties were distinct.