"Quality Audit Service Training Course on DUS Tests in Agriculture" sponsored by Development Center of Science and Technology under MARA, organized by Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Nanjing Sub-center of DUS Tests for Plant New Variety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) was held in Nanjing from October 20 to 23.Mr. Sergio SEMON, team leader of Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), and Mr. Hendrik GREEF, quality management of Naktuinbouw was invited for training participants. Zhu Yan, deputy director of Development Center of Science and Technology under MARA, director of the Protection and Testing Division, Huang Jun, vice president of JAAS, and technical leaders from 27 sub-centers of DUS Tests for Plant New Variety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs attended the training.

The training lasted for 4 days and a half. The two foreign experts introduced the European Union's new plant variety protection system and quality management system and the evaluation and management practice of plant new varieties protection quality management during the first day of indoor training. Then, the two experts conducted a live simulation evaluation of Nanjing Sub-center during the next two days. After listening to the general situation of Nanjing Sub-center and the introduction of the DUS test process, they toured around the test base, seed bank, and archives room of Nanjing Sub-center, inquired about the test work and files of the sub-center. The staff of Development Center of Science and Technology under MARA of Nanjing Sub-center accompanied inspection, and at the same time answered questions from experts and exchanged views on relevant issues.

After the simulation evaluation, the two EU experts gave a high praise to the construction, management and testing of Nanjing sub-center. At the same time, they also put forward suggestions for improvement.

This training course is the first international training on the quality management of new plant varieties in China. The host of the training is a strong proof of JAAS's achievements in new varieties protection and testing. The conference also provided a new platform for capability building and intellectual property protection as well as international cooperation.