As of October 1, 2019, the apple breeding programme of the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has been completely taken over by Fresh Forward Breeding & Marketing, a subsidiary of the WUR and Fragaria Holland BV.
The WUR apple programme has been around since 1948. For decades the breeding programme has focused on disease resistance, with an emphasis on scurvy resistance. Besides this there is mainly selection based on production, shelf life and flavour. A lot of apple varieties came from the breeding programme, including Elstar, Santana, Fresco/Wellant and SQ159/Natyra/Magic Star. It makes an important contribution to the cultivation of apples both within the Netherlands and outside of it.
New apple varieties
In the future Fresh Forward, as well as breeding strawberry varieties, will focus on developing new apple varieties that better fit into a sustainable manner of growing and that lead to a 'more intense eating experience' for the consumer. The takeover makes it possible to invest in marker development and research, among other things. The latter will be in collaboration with WUR. Fresh Forward will mainly invest in the modernisation and intensification of the breeding in close collaboration with partners in the chain of the apple, from nursery to retail.
Fresh Forward states that it aims to bring superior apple varieties and innovative concepts to the market in the coming years, that both spoil the consumer and serve the grower and the chain.
Source: Fresh Forward Breeding & Marketing BV