IMPACT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-RIGHTS ON GENETIC DIVERSITY - THE CASE OF UNITED-STATES WHEAT

This paper examines the link between passage of the Plant Variety Prot ection Act (PVPA), private R&D, public R&D, and genetic diversity in f armers' fields. PVPA did have a limited positive impact on private whe at breeding but did not lead to a decrease in public wheat research. I nstead, public wheat research increased rapidly after PVPA passed. The trends in wheat diversity over time for the entire United States sugg est that private research has undergone minor increases in diversity. Regression analysis of genetic diversity in Kansas, Nebraska, and Mont ana indicates that public sector research has increased diversity in f armers' wheat fields and that PVPA has had a small positive impact on diversity.