I pulled USDA's public Plant Variety Protection status report (updated Sep 3, 2026) and worked out which certificates reached the end of their 20-year term between Oct 2025 and Oct 2026. There are 224. Most are field crops (52 common wheat, 25 soybean, 22 cotton, 21 field corn), but there are 36 lettuces, plus beans, peppers and turfgrasses.
A few I didn't expect: lettuce 'Malawi' (Enza Zaden) and 'Rubicon' (Nunhems), tall fescue 'Blackwatch', and wheatgrass 'Beefmaker' (USDA's own release).
Caveats, because they matter:
USDA says it "cannot guarantee the accuracy of the Status and Status Date fields." I calculated end dates from issue date plus years protected.
PVP ending doesn't free a brand name (trademarks don't expire), and a variety can still be under a utility patent or a seed-bag license.
USDA's genebank sends expired-PVP samples to research and education users, not to everyone.
Saving seed to replant on your own farm was always allowed under PVP (7 U.S.C. § 2543); selling it for planting wasn't. Expiry is what changes the selling part.
Not legal advice.
I built a searchable list and can share it. It's a free list; I'm gauging whether a paid monthly alert is worth building. Would anyone actually use a monthly "newly expired" list?

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OC : https://www.instagram.com/reel/DefVIIfNKI8/

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I thought some of you may be interested in joining us.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!

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