Belgian catalog of varieties?

All varieties of agricultural crops sold in Europe must be registered in the official catalog of varieties of one of the member states.

This means, among other things, that they are tested in practice and their performance is compared with that of existing varieties. In this way the European member states want to ensure that only varieties which are actually better than existing varieties and/or contain new characteristics are put on the market.

In Belgium ILVO carries out these official variety tests for the Flemish Government.

Procedure before registration on the list

In addition, ILVO annually publishes a descriptive and recommended variety list, in which the performance of all varieties in the Belgian variety list can be compared in a clear manner for at least two seasons.

After registration: descriptive and recommended variety list

In both cases, the trials are organized according to a strict protocol, spread across Flanders.

How and where are the varieties tested?