At the beginning – nearly 70 years ago – stood two apple enthusiasts. Until now, some of our varieties robust to diseases have reached fruit nurseries and shop shelves on several continents (and even the astronauts at ISS). Find out more about us and our work.
We are part of the Institute of Experimental Botany (IEB) of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Since the humble beginning in 1955, when apple enthusiasts Otto Louda and Dr. Jaroslav Tupý founded our breeding station, we have come a long way. Nowadays, our station consists of two parts:
The breeding station itself is located in the village of Střížovice in the so-called Bohemian Paradise, about 70 km NE from Prague. That's where our selections see the light of day. Our modern facilities and equipment help us with our endeavour.
However, our work is about much more than just cultivation, selection, and other field activities. In our labs and offices at the main seat of our Institute in Prague, we conduct basic research and other tasks integral to our breeding.
Breeding station in Střížovice (N Czechia)
Seat of the Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague
Thanks to that, we can join applied and basic research together and keep up with current trends in research and development of new varieties. Scientific findings help us understand the genetics of this crop and make the right decisions in our work.
Our domain is breeding of varieties resistant to harmful diseases such as scab (Venturia inaequalis), powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha), and fireblight (Erwinia amylovora). At the same time, however, we put a lot of emphasis on their organoleptic and growing qualities.
Scab (Venturia inaequalis) - an important enemy of apple growers...
...that we strive to beat by breeding more robust varieties.
Scientific findings help us considerably with this endeavour.
We pursue our goal to develop and offer you selections that match modern needs. But the bar is set high today. A successful apple variety should not only be tasty, but also firm, long-storable, and stand out from the crowd.
After a years-long evaluation, out of thousands of seedlings sprouting each year, we select at most a few the best ones.
In cooperation with our license partners from the Czech Republic and abroad who test our newselections on their own site, we apply the most promising ones for plant variety rights or plant patents. After the conclusion of a licence agreement, nothing stands in the way of the promotion and sale of trees or fruit. Together with our partners, we bring the best of our work to apple lovers. People on several continents grow trees or buy fruits of some of our varieties. In 2015, our Opal® ('UEB 32642') even had the honour to please the astronauts at the International Space Station.
Do you have a commercial orchard or fruit tree nursery? Find out more why our varieties may be the right option for you and explore our wide range of varieties.
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