Open/Public Domain plants for breeding?

Hi Guys

So I was just wondering if anyone knew how I could breed my own varieties of fruit plants? I asked recently online and didn't really get an answer which gave me what I was looking for.

I seem to have hit a little barrier when looking for varieties out there which I can breed.. and that barrier is called Plant Breeders Rights. How am I even meant to find varieties which are not protected by this? I'm looking specifically at fruit varieties. I know that people breed fruit still because I see people doing it all the time.

My aim is to breed fruit which is more hardy for the UK climate, specifically some of the more known continental fruit.

Anyone know I can achieve this? I would like to find varieties not protected so I can breed plants.

Thanks.

 

Pedantic point but the protection is to prevent other people selling clones, not propagating them (e.g. for own use)

 

The Wikipedia PBR; I found this statement in that post which confuses me about all of this.

" There is also a breeders' exemption (research exemption in the 1991 Act) that allows breeders to use protected varieties as sources of initial variation to create new varieties of plants (1978 Act), or for other experimental purposes (1991 Act)"

I also got this reply online recently:

"You would not be able to cross breed protected varieties unless you obtained a license from the copyright holder. It is the same as any copyright and should you breach it you can be taken to court."

 

Thank you. I was awfully confused about people's wording of it. I would like to acclimatize some pomegranates for the UK climate.. also perhaps work on some grape varieties too. As I'm currently a university student I dont get much time at all right now, but have been bugging myself for quite a while with this question. I know a large area is needed to do this, and also each will take the best part of 10-15 years just to see any progress at all (if any!). I watch a guy from Switzerland online with a company that breeds and supplies many growers in the UK. Lubera is their name. They do a lot of breeding work, and I wouldn't mind working for him in the future. I want to take my masters degree after this bachelors in Plant Genetics and Crop Improvement so that I can learn and research heavily into all of the modern techniques (minus Genetic Engineering) which is used to cut down this waiting time of 10-15 years for breeders. My main aim is to produce plants which people can enjoy growing themselves and also to grow plants which can adapt to our changing climate
nowadays.

Do you breed any plants? My grandfather bred roses I hear, which was a thing he loved to do while he was still alive. I just love the whole watching seeds germinate, raising plants from cuttings, breed new varieties thing about horticulture. It fills me with hope about the world.

 

Great time to start. Its a time consuming hobby, and of all the successful breeders I have read about I can't help thinking that they must have started young to have had enough time for the successive generations to produce their successes.

 

I wonder if I should start a new thread or not.. Ive been trying to look for the Uzbek/Russian Pomegranate named "kakaze" in the UK. Does anyone know where I might get one? I've seen a few other varieties which look interesting to breed from also, very cold hardy and still fruit, but always have tiny fruit.. almost the same size as rose hips.