Assessing the resistance of varieties to pests: one aspect of plant breeding innovation

The assessment of varieties’ resistance to pests is a key component of plant breeding innovation and enables the description of varieties under consideration for inclusion in the official French catalogue (CTPS) as part of DUS and VAT studies, and for plant variety protection (DUS). It relies on the use of protocols that are representative of real-world conditions, reliable and reproducible in relation to the epidemiological situations that registered varieties will encounter when they are placed on the market. This can be achieved by implementing programmes to harmonise DHS protocols at European level, using validated and harmonised reference material, and through collaborations with research institutes for the epidemiological monitoring of strains.