The competitiveness of Dutch pip fruit chains is under pressure. Imports from southern countries mean that greater added value has to be offered. This can be done by increasing the attractiveness for the consumer and by means of sustainable cultivation without the use of chemical pesticides. The aim is to produce high-quality, disease-resistant apples without pesticides. Only in these circumstances is it possible to manage commercial orchards in suburban areas and to allow consumers to enjoy the blossom and delicious products.
In this project, consumer research has lead to selection of cultivars and coordination of high-quality production. In order to make apples disease-resistant, two kinds of research are performed, a process that is much quicker than traditional crossing:
- identification of genetic characteristics for more efficient selection of desired qualities.
- isolation of resistant genes and introducing these into high-grade cultivars.
The research is done exclusively on apple genes: this involves cisgenic, not transgenic research. These new technologies in plant breeding call for new means of protecting intellectual property. The project team is working on a classification model for the regulation of cisgenic crops with a view to a relaxation of the regulations for genetic modification. Multi-year panel research provides insight into consumer acceptance of apples modified with apple-specific genetic material.
[Cooperation]:
Inova Fruit BV works closely with tree nurserymen in the Netherlands and Belgium, their cultivation advisers, Plant Research International (PRI), Twente University and Schuttelaar & Partners, which is drawing up a communication plan for the acceptance and marketing of the new apple cultivar. |
