Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) is a form of intellectual property protection granted to plant breeders for their new plant varieties. It gives breeders exclusive rights to produce, sell, and distribute their varieties for a specified period, usually around 20 years. In Australia, popular PBR varieties include Callistemon ‘Little John’, Agapanthus ‘Snowball’, Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ and Ozbreed’s Lomandra grasses including the ever popular Lomandra ‘Tanika’.

The pros of PBR include providing incentive to plant breeders to develop new and improved varieties, promoting innovation in the horticultural industry, and ensuring breeders can make their money back on investing in developing new plant variations. PBR encourages development of a diverse range of ‘fancy’ plant options for customers.

However, there are a few concerns to be aware of around PBR varieties, for gardeners and growers.

1. Higher prices for new varieties: Breeders with PBR have the exclusive rights to sell and distribute their protected varieties, which can lead to higher prices for customers. Limited competition in the market can result in less affordable options for gardeners and farmers.
2. Potential for monopolies: PBR can create monopolies in the seed and plant market, as breeders with protected varieties have a strong market advantage. This concentration of power may limit choices for consumers and reduce competition in the industry.
3. Restriction on seed saving: PBR typically prohibits farmers and gardeners from saving and exchanging seeds of protected varieties for future planting. This limits the traditional practice of seed saving and can increase dependency on commercial seed sources.