New Forage Grass Benefits from Public-Private Partnership

One of Mexico’s most dynamic private seed companies— Papalotla Group—is demonstrating the right way to use valuable plant genetic resources for both private gain and public benefit.

Several years ago the company entered into a strategic alliance with CIAT for marketing seed of the world’s first commercial hybrid of Brachiaria grass. Under the agreement, CIAT retains intellectual property rights over the hybrid, while Papalotla is authorized to produce and sell it, under the varietal name ‘Mulato,’ until 2010.

“The icing on the cake is that under agreements with Papalotla, both CIAT and national research institutes in all the countries where Mulato is marketed receive royalties,” comments Carlos Lascano, who leads CIAT’s forage research. “This helps cover the costs of our research.”

Based on three Brachiaria species, Mulato and other new Bracharia hybrids are the product of nearly 20 years of conventional plant breeding at CIAT. The strong appeal of the new grass for farmers lies in its vigorous productivity, tolerance to drought, and high forage quality. The work has been supported by the Colombian Government, while the Government of Japan has financed complementary work on the conservation of forage genetic resources.

Releasing Mulato for demonstration purposes in 2000, Papalotla marketed some 20 tons of seed in Mexico during 2003. By 2004, the company had extended sales of the hybrid to seven other Latin American countries. Total sales reached 193 tons, enough to plant 48,000 hectares. That same year Papalotla expanded beyond Latin America by starting commercial production of Mulato in Thailand. There, some 1,800 small farmers have planted about 1,500 hectares of the hybrid to produce an estimated 185 tons of seed. With expanding seed supplies, Papalotla hopes to break into the potentially huge Asian market for animal forages.

Few seed companies can afford to make the kind of investment in long-term research that led to Mulato’s development. “CIAT had a good product from their research, while we had the means of commercializing it,” says Eduardo Stern, Papalotla’s Director General.

Papalotla’s investment in marketing Mulato translates into significant economic and environmental benefits through enhanced livestock production and recuperation of degraded pasturelands.