Our Services

Georgia's Integrated Cultivar Release System is your starting point for anyone interested in licensing high impact varieties of plants or bringing new plant materials to the marketplace.

Our “Systems Approach” to varietal development and commercialization seamlessly integrates the efforts of plant breeders, licensing entities, foundation seed producers and quality control experts. We provide a valuable range of services that include:

Meet Our Team

Georgia's Integrated Cultivar Release System (GICRS) is comprised of four entities;  Georgia Seed Development (GSD); the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc. (UGARF); the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations; and the Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA). All play important roles in this method of plant development and marketing. Our Systems Approach integrates plant breeding research, intellectual property protection, quality control and marketing to customers in Georgia and across the globe. They are responsible for protecting and licensing intellectual property, including UGA-developed plant cultivars to seed companies, nurseries, farmers and other interested parties.

By working together, these four entities advance the knowledge of plant genetics, address anti-piracy issues and ensure the very best varieties are available to satisfy increasing global demand for crop output.