Guidance

Procedures for DUS and VCU official supervision trials audit

Published 11 December 2024

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A sample of DUS and VCU trial operators and their sites will be audited annually by representatives from the national authorities.

The audit will assess whether the procedures for trialling comply with the official procedures for national lists DUS and VCU trials.  

The majority of audits will be carried out by correspondence using input from the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) and British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB).  

1. How operators and sites and operators are selected for audit 

VCU trial operator and sites will be selected for audit inspection on the basis of:

  • 10% of the trials for major species
  • 5% of those categorised as minor species

Selection will be based evenly over VCU trial operators and sites, but may be targeted to address problems. A random and risk base selection system will be used to identify the trial operators for the annual audit. 

Selection for DUS species for audit will be selected annually on a rotational basis (see Annex 1). Selection may be targeted to address problems.

The number of DUS and VCU trial operators and sites selected for audit will be agreed by the national list and seeds committee (NLSC) annually. 

2. How audits are assessed  

Assessment will be by means of a checklist trial site audit report form and trial evidence supplied by AHDB and BSPB.

The checklist trial site audit report form will be sent to the DUS or VCU trial operator by the trial organiser to be completed and returned within 4 weeks of being issued. Any non-compliances or areas requiring follow up action will be reported back to the trial site operator within 4 weeks.  

3. How audits are reported  

The DUS and VCU trial and technical validation operators will send their trial site audit reports to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). APHA will then submit a summary report to the NLSC, indicating any areas of concern, prior to proposed decisions on candidate varieties being made.  

Any audits and their results must be submitted to APHA on an annual basis by the DUS and VCU trial organisers. These audits may have been conducted by: 

  • trial organisers 

  • trial operators 

  • seed handling operators 

  • pathology trials operators 

  • quality test operators 

  • data handling operators 

APHA will examine these audits, carry out any further administrative audits as necessary, and report the outcome to the NLSC.  

4. Annex 1 DUS rotational basis  

DUS species and trial sites audits are carried out on a rotational basis. The tables show how rotation works across each agency. 

4.1 APHA species rotation 

Species Year
barley, field bean, fodder kale year 1
oat, naked oat, sugar beet year 2
wheat, winter oil seed rape year 3

4.2 DAERA species rotation 

Species Year
festulolium year 1
hybrid ryegrass year 1
Italian ryegrass year 2
perennial ryegrass year 2
white clover year 3

4.3 SASA species rotation 

Species Year
potato year 1
pea and field pea year 1
swede year 2
turnip rape year 3

4.4 APHA annual contract meetings 

Contract meetings are held as follows:

  • Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB): annual meeting
  • National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) Pathology: TSC annually
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