Couldn't they just publish their data online? Set up a definitive record of breeding history (maybe something like they do with horse genealogy), then describe

Couldn't they just publish their data online? Set up a definitive record of breeding history (maybe something like they do with horse genealogy), then describe the traits of each seed, DNA profile, etc. This could at least serve as evidence of prior art. It might take a few years to build such a database, but every little bit of evidence will help defend against overly broad patents. NB. I am not a lawyer...