Durable disease resistance and high fruit quality, a challenge for apple breeding

Kellerhals M., Sauer C., Höhn E., Guggenbühl B., Frey J., Liebhard R. and Gessler C.

IOBC/WPRS Bulletin 29(1): 43-48, 2006

High fruit quality and durable disease resistance are crucial aspects in apple breeding directed towards sustainable production systems. Results of consumer tests with new disease resistant apple cultivars confirm that progress has been achieved in improving fruit quality and, as a consequence, in consumer acceptance. Fruit firmness, juiciness and aroma are among the most important criteria. The challenge of breeding durable disease resistant varieties is approached by developing efficient molecular techniques that allow to detect the combined presence of the target resistance genes in a seedling. First examples for molecular selection towards genotypes with pyramidised genetic resistance against scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) are promising.