Our beloved apples are delicate plants. This is clearly shown in the report by SRF's science magazine, Einstein. Without plant protection, apple shelves in stores might largely remain empty. Apple blossom weevils and apple moths harm eating apples just as much as fungal diseases like scab or powdery mildew. So it's not surprising that apple farmers spray their plants with plant protection products several times a year. In organic farming, this reportedly happens twice as often as in conventional farming because the products used (especially sulfur and copper) are less effective.

Fire blight, a highly contagious bacterial disease that can destroy entire crops, is also a major concern. Since the ban on the use of antibiotics, there are only a few plant protection products available that are effective against the fire blight pathogen. Pests and fungi are constant challenges for apple growers. Climate change adds to this: neither the popular Gala apple, Braeburn, nor Golden Delicious can handle heat well. This is likely to have far-reaching consequences. To enable apple cultivation in our latitudes in the future, it is essential to breed more resistant plants. In the future, they must be better able to cope with heat, pests, and fungi. At the same time, consumers and politicians demand a continuous reduction of plant protection products used – while maintaining product quality, of course. Time is of the essence.

25 Years for a New Apple

It is a massive challenge to find timely solutions for the pressing problems, as shown in the Einstein report. Because breeding a resistant, tasty apple with traditional methods is a lengthy process: it takes 25 years or more before a new, resistant variety is potentially marketable. Resistance is just one of many breeding objectives: New varieties should taste good, look appetizing, have a long shelf life, be transportable, and so on. Given this, it is incomprehensible that there is no progress in Switzerland regarding the approval of new genomic breeding methods. The Einstein report impressively demonstrates the potential of these technologies. By making minimal changes to the plant's genome, either desired resistances could be introduced into existing, popular apple varieties, or unwanted characteristics that promote diseases could be switched off. Unlike conventional breeding methods, it would not take decades to reach market maturity, but "only" a few years. And consumers wouldn't have to give up their favorite apple varieties. Moreover, tools would be available to quickly respond to new challenges. Bruno Studer, Professor of Molecular Plant Breeding at ETH Zurich, explains in the report the possibility of combining different resistance mechanisms using cisgenetics and genome editing to develop more long-lasting resistances. This would significantly reduce the use of necessary plant protection products.

Consumers See the Benefits

The advantages of the new breeding methods are obvious. And the brief survey at the end of the Einstein report shows that many consumers are quite open to apples produced with new methods: "If the whole thing is scientifically tested and safe, I would choose the gene-edited apple," says a convinced father. One cannot disagree with him. And he is far from being the only one with this view, as a survey by gfs Bern also shows.