Muscat – Oman has completed the technical procedures to register the locally developed Razat banana variety with the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), strengthening efforts to document and protect the country’s plant genetic resources.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, through its Directorate General of Agricultural and Animal Research, carried out the required technical examinations and tests for the variety submitted by the Royal Court Affairs’ Razat Royal Farm.

The assessment covered the approved criteria of novelty, distinctness and stability. The Plant Variety Registration Committee concluded that Razat meets the technical requirements, confirming the consistency of its characteristics.

The ministry said the registration goes beyond a legal and technical procedure, providing a scientific record of a local variety that can support future agricultural research, crop development and production programmes.

Dr Safaa bint Mohammed Al Farsi, Head of the Seed Research and Plant Genetic Resources Section, said documenting and registering plant varieties was important for conserving genetic resources.

She said registration establishes a variety’s characteristics, provides legal protection and creates a scientific and technical reference for research, crop development and improving farming practices.

The registration adds Razat to Oman’s documented plant varieties under UPOV and supports efforts to conserve plant diversity and knowledge associated with local varieties.