Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR
We are Discovering the Plant World

Station Address: Výzkumná stanice Střížovice, 463 45 Pěnčín u Liberce
Email: strizoviceueb [dot] cas [dot] cz
Tel.: +420 485 177 430
Fax.: +420 485 177 430          

Head of the Střížovice Station: Ing. Jaroslav Tupý, DrSc.
Email:tupyueb [dot] cas [dot] cz
Tel.: +420 220 303 848
Fax.:+420 233 339 412

Research objectives of the Station

The research activity of the Station is focused on research of resistance against diseases in apples and on breeding of scab resistant and powdery mildew tolerant apple varieties. Breeding for resistance to these diseases has a high priority throughout the world in view of minimizing the use of chemicals in fruit production. The most frequent problems of commercialization of resistant varieties are unsatisfactory organoleptic fruit qualities. In our program started in 1966 we use hybrids with Vf resistance against scab from Malus floribunda and cultivars with polygenic tolerance against scab and mildew. A series of varieties with a broad spectrum of ripening time, fruit qualities and growing properties has been released from this program. The varieties are protected by Plant Variety Rights in Czech Republic, Switzerland and in the European Union and by United States patent. Our ongoing research is focused on further improvement of commercial qualities of resistant varieties and on a combination of Vf resistance with tolerances against scab encoded polygenically in order to render scab resistance more durable. In relation to these objectives genetic sources homozygous in the gene Vf are created using molecular markers for their identification and attemps are made to find molecular markers for other types of scab resistance.
Propagation of the new varieties requires a licence agreement and payment of royalties. The varieties are grown for commercial fruit production in countries of the European union and  in the USA mainly as organic apple production. The mostly grown is at the present time the variety Topaz and its mutation Red Topaz. The inventors of the varieties are employees of the Institute and the latter is the owner of the varieties.

Selected varieties to which plant protection in the European union or in the USA has been granted since the year 2005:

Tupý, J., Louda, O., Zima, J.: Malus Mill. variety OPAL
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 16749 from 30.01.2006
United States patent PP 15,963 from 13.09.2005 as UEB 3264/2

Tupý, J., Louda, O., Zima, J.: Malus Mill. variety ORION
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 16765 from 30.01.2006
United States patent PP 19,276 from 30.09.2008  

Tupý, J., Louda, O.: Malus Mill. variety RED TOPAZ
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 1700 from 27.02.2006
United States patent PP 18,895 from 10.06.2008 

Tupý, J., Louda, O., Zima, J.: Malus domestica Borkh. variety SIRIUS
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 20805 from 24.08.2007
United States patent  PP 18,541 from 04.03.2008 

Tupý, J., Louda, O., Zima, J.: Malus domestica Borkh. variety LUNA
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 22063 from 07.04.2008
United States patent PP 16,084 from 01.11.2005 as UEB 3375/2

Tupý, J., Louda, O., Zima, J.: Malus domestica Borkh. variety ROZELA
Community Plant Variety Rights EU 22308 from 05.05.2008

The yellow coloured varieties Opal, Orion, Luna and Sirius are introduced into the market in Europa and maditerranean countries under the Golden Sunshine Line ® (GSL) marketing concept of the German society webfruit GmbH. In North America they are licensed to Varieties International LLC Dundee, OR97115.
 
The Station is also involved in breeding of disease resistant varieties with compact columnar growth habit using varieties derived from the "Wijcik" mutant of McIntosh. One variety, Sonet, is protected in Czech Republic and several varieties were applied for Community Plant Variety Rights in the European Union (Cactus, Goldlane, Moonlight, Redlane, Rhapsodie, Rondo, Sonate, Sunlight). These varieties are commercialized in the European Union mainly for home gardens.
 
Keywords: Apple, resistance against diseases, scab, mildew, breeding of resistant varieties, compact columnar forms.