Sorten

Sorten is the plural form of Sorte in German, meaning variety, kind, or type. It is used across many domains to refer to specific variants of a species that have been selected or bred by humans and consistently maintained through generations.

In agriculture, horticulture, and animal breeding, Sorten denote distinct, reproducible variants that differ in traits such as flavor, color, yield, growth habit, disease resistance, or adaptability. They are evaluated and released by breeders or breeding institutions and may be subject to legal protection under plant variety rights (Sortenschutz) in many jurisdictions. When a new Sorte is registered, it receives a formal name and may require certification for commercial cultivation or sale.

In practice, Sorten are labeled in seed catalogs, nurseries, and markets with unique Sortennamen. The term is widely used in German-speaking countries and also appears in international contexts where German is used in technical literature. In the wine industry, grape varieties are commonly described as Rebsorten; Sorten can be used to refer to such varieties in a broader sense.

Sorten are distinguished from wild types by their intentional selection and propagation methods, and from standard cultivars by naming conventions and regulatory status. The concept also applies to other organisms and products where discrete, stable variants exist.