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Vegetable, agricultural or ornamental crop?

Whether it is a vegetable, agricultural or ornamental crop is not always clear. However, it is often important to know for the correct application of rules.

Agricultural or vegetable crop?

Industrial chicory is a crop with an agricultural use and must meet the VCU requirement. Both DUS and VCU testing is needed for listing varieties of this crop. After listing, varieties of industrial chicory can be found on the National List of Varieties for agricultural crops. But according to the European Union the crop is considered a vegetable crop. However, this makes no difference to the regulations.

More of such doubtful cases can be found in the table below.

Latin crop nameDutch crop nameDUS testing needed for listingVCU needed for listingIncluded on the National List of Varieties for agricultural or vegetable cropsIncluded on the European common catalogue for agricultural or vegetable crops
Brassica juncea L.
Bladmosterd (as vegetable crop)
No
No
Not applicable
Not applicable
Brassica juncea L.
Bladmosterd (as agricultural crop)
Yes
Yes
Agricultural
Agricultural
Brassica napus L. (partim)
Koolzaad / bladkool
Yes
Yes
Agricultural
Agricultural
Brassica napus L. var. napobrassica (L.) Rchb.
Koolraap
Yes
No
Agricultural
Agricultural
Brassica rapa L. var. rapa
Meiraap / stoppelknol
Yes
No
Agricultural
Vegetable
Brassica rapa L. var. sylvestris (Lam.) Brigs
Raapzaad / bladraap
Yes
Yes
Agricultural
Agricultural
Cichorium intybus L.
Industriële cichorei
Yes
Yes
Agricultural
Vegetable
Daucus carota L.
(voeder)wortel
Yes
No
Vegetable
Vegetable
Pisum sativum L. (partim)
Erwt (as vegetable crop)
Yes
No
Vegetable
Vegetable
Pisum sativum L. (partim)
Erwt (as agricultural crop)
Yes
Yes
Agricultural
Agricultural
--Grassen (Grasses): grasveldtypes (grass field types)YesNoAgriculturalAgricultural

Vegetable or ornamental crop?

Should ornamental crops such as pot tomatoes, mini peppers, ornamental pumpkins, and so forth be registered as vegetables? The answer is: yes.

Varieties, which are edible but sold as an ornamental product, should be registered as vegetables in the European common catalogue. Only if the variety cannot be used as a vegetable either, registration can be omitted. The background to this is EC Directive 2002/55 article 2.1.b, which defines the crops that are subject to registration. Because the plants are edible, they are given the horticultural designation.

There is no registration obligation for a crop not mentioned in the EC directive, regardless of its use for vegetable or ornamental purposes. For example, ornamental chillies that are not Capsicum annuum L. but Capsicum frutescens L. do not have to be registered. Even though they are edible.